An increasing number of Americans were forced out of work as new coronavirus cases reached record-breaking levels. New jobless claims surged 137,000 over last week’s revised totals, hitting 853,000, the U.S. Department of Labor Department (DOL) reported on Thursday (Dec. 10).
Continuing claims for the week ending Nov. 28 were roughly 5.8 million, above forecasts of an estimated 5.2 million.
The resurgence in COVID-19 cases prompted more indoor dining and shopping restrictions, which pushed more people out of work and onto unemployment. First-time claims for unemployment benefits totaled 712,000 last week, compared with 787,000 a week earlier.
Weekly claims dropped below one million per week at the end of August, with recent weeks hovering around 695,000. New jobless claims started going up again in mid-November as a second wave of infections took hold.
The Government Accountability Office said in November that some states were providing incorrect unemployment data due to the record-high number of filings and the temporary pandemic assistance.
Without additional congressional aid, pandemic unemployment is scheduled to end the day after Christmas. Benefits to gig workers, freelancers, contractors and part-timers are also scheduled to lapse at the end of the year.
Talks for another stimulus package have been ongoing, with a $916 billion proposal being supported by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Since the $2.2 trillion CARES Act was passed in March, there have been 14.8 million new coronavirus cases and 275,000 deaths.