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| Coronavirus: US weekly jobless claims hit 6.6 million | Coronavirus: US weekly jobless claims hit 6.6 million |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits has surged for a third week in a row as the economic toll tied to the coronavirus intensifies. | The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits has surged for a third week in a row as the economic toll tied to the coronavirus intensifies. |
| More than 6.6 million people filed jobless claims in the week ending 4 April, the Department of Labor said. | More than 6.6 million people filed jobless claims in the week ending 4 April, the Department of Labor said. |
| The filings in the previous two weeks totalled more than 10 million. | The filings in the previous two weeks totalled more than 10 million. |
| The deepening economic crisis comes as the number of cases in the US soars to more than 430,000. | The deepening economic crisis comes as the number of cases in the US soars to more than 430,000. |
| The surging joblessness is a stark reversal for the world's biggest economy where the unemployment rate had been hovering around 3.5%. | The surging joblessness is a stark reversal for the world's biggest economy where the unemployment rate had been hovering around 3.5%. |
| "Today's report continues to reflect the personal sacrifice being made by America's workers and their families to slow the spread of the coronavirus," Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia said. | |
| The US recently passed a more than $2tn rescue bill, which funds direct payment for households, assistance for businesses and increased unemployment benefits. Lawmakers are now discussing further relief. | |
| But the number of people and firms seeking assistance has overwhelmed the efforts. | |
| In New York, Lou Benavides, who works in the music industry, has tried for weeks to register for jobless benefits, but cannot reach the Labor Department to finish processing his claim. | |
| "There was one day when I made like 300 calls," he said. "I still have not spoken to a human being." |