Workers in America and California lost their jobs in huge numbers last week, according to a report released Thursday, a jaw-dropping increase in unemployment that underscores how the coronavirus fallout has jolted the economy.
The number of unemployment claims in California totaled nearly 879,000 in California, a stunning jump increase that was nearly five times greater than the 186,000 jobless claims that were filed statewide in the week of March 21, the U.S. Labor Department reported.
Jobless claims in the United States totaled 6.65 million, more than double the 3.31 million that were filed during the week that ended on March 21, officials said.
The new report on applications for unemployment insurance points to mammoth employment losses and a spike in the jobless rates in both the U.S. and California during the spring, according to economists.
