For a record 16th consecutive week, first time unemployment claims surpassed one million filers, with 1.3 million people apply for benefits last week, according to a release from the Department of Labor.
The record unemployment claims total more than 50 million Americans since the coronavirus pandemic struck the United States in February. That accounts for nearly one-third of the 159 million person US labor force.
The first time unemployment claims fell by nearly 100,000 from the previous week. Earlier this month, the Trump Administration announced 4.8 million jobs were created in June, when 6 million first time unemployment claims were filed. The official unemployment rate stands at 11.1%.