America’s stunning unemployment surge during coronavirus — visualized

“The ranks of the unemployed are swelling in ways not seen before. This week, a record-breaking 6.6 million people filed for unemployment,” as NBC News is reporting.

“Last week, more than 3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits, as state-ordered coronavirus lockdownshave brought huge swaths of the economy to a halt. Not even during the peak of the Great Recession did the unemployment numbers come close to this latest spike, with 665,000 people applying for benefits the week of March 28, 2009.

“The interactive chart below, dating back to 1967, shows the stunning surge in claims over the past couple weeks.

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Author: jeffpelline

Jeff Pelline is a veteran editor and award-winning journalist - in print and online. He is publisher of Sierra FoodWineArt magazine and its website SierraCulture.com. Jeff covered business and technology for The San Francisco Chronicle for 12 years, and he was a founding editor and Editor of CNET News for eight years, among other positions. Jeff has a bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley and a master's from Northwestern University. His hobbies include sailing, swimming, and trout fishing in the Sierra. View all posts by jeffpelline