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April 3, 2020

More Than 10 Million Americans File Jobless Claims in Just Two Weeks
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The Labor Department reports a staggering 6.65 million Americans filed
for unemployment over the last week, bringing the total number of U.S.
jobless claims to more than 10 million since the coronavirus pandemic
reached the United States. Millions more are expected to file claims in
the coming weeks, with state unemployment agencies reporting jammed
phone lines and crashing web servers due to record levels of traffic.
Economist Ben Zipperer of the Economic Policy Institute estimates in
just two weeks, mass layoffs left 3.5 million people with no health
benefits. He tweeted, "The COVID-19 pandemic lays bare the cruelty of
tying health insurance coverage to employment."