The Labor Department of the United States has revealed an unequalled record of 3.3 million Americans who applied for unemployment benefits last week, this is an aftermath of the COVID-19 which led to a nationwide shut down.
Last week saw the biggest jump in new jobless claims in history, surpassing the record of 695,000 set in 1982.
Many economists forecast that what happened last week is only the beginning of a massive spike in unemployment that could result in over 40 million Americans losing their jobs by April.
The true number of unemployed so far from the coronavirus is likely much higher than 3.3 million because a lot of workers are not allowed to apply for this particular benefit. Self-employed workers, gig workers, students, people who did not live in the state last year or workers fewer than six months last year are typically not eligible to apply for unemployment insurance in most states.