San José, CA – Within a week of the election, the pandemic in the United States has turned the corner, just as President Trump said. But instead of fading away, there has been a surge in new infections. For five straight days there has been more than 100,000 cases a day, the latest being more than 145,000 – another record high. Trump has been uncharacteristically quiet on the pandemic, instead focusing on spreading lies and filing lawsuits to try to throw out people’s votes in a losing attempt to overturn President-elect Biden’s election victory.
San José, CA – On Friday, November 5 the U.S. Department of Labor released its monthly employment report for October, as President Trump faced defeat in the presidential election. The number of long-term unemployed, who have been out of work for more than six months, jumped by more than a million to outpace those recently laid off for the first time. The number of people collecting long-term unemployment under the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation or PEUC, and the state Extended Benefits, rose by almost 500,000 in the week of the unemployment survey alone.
San José, CA – For the second month in a row, U.S. stocks fell in October. The drop in stock prices sped up, with both October and the last week being the worst month and week for the stock market since March. The broadest stock market index, the S&P 500, is now down nearly 9% from its record high in early September.
San José, CA – On Thursday, October 22, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that there were 787,000 new claims for regular state unemployment in the week that ended October 17. This was 55,000 fewer than the previous week, but still 20,000 higher than two weeks ago and almost four times as high as the same week a year ago. While new claims have fallen dramatically from the record high of almost 6 million in April, they are still higher than the pre-recession high of less than 700,000.
San José, CA – On Thursday, October 15, the U.S. Department of Labor reported the biggest one week increase in new claims for unemployment insurance since late July. The latest report for the week ending October 10 saw 898,000 new claims for regular state unemployment insurance, up 53,000 from the week before.
San José, CA – On Friday, October 2, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the official unemployment rate had dropped to 7.9% in September, from 8.4% in August. But of the almost one million people who left the official unemployment count, 70% stopped looking for work and did not find a job. This is because the government’s unemployment rate only counts those who are both without paid work and who are looking for work.
San José, CA – The latest report by the Department of Labor on unemployment insurance applications shows that the tide of layoffs continues. But this week, major U.S. corporations announced even more layoffs to come as the economy tilts on the edge of a ‘double-dip’ recession.
San José, CA – The latest weekly report on new applications for regular state unemployment insurance showed an unexpected increase in new claims. The Department of Labor, on Thursday, September 24, said that there were 870,000 people who filed for state unemployment benefits in the week ending September 19, up slightly from 866,000 the week before. However, most economists expected a sizable drop to 850,000.
San José, CA – The weekly report on Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims issued on Thursday, September 17 by the U.S. Department of Labor showed that the economy continues to struggle. Seasonally adjusted new claims for regular state unemployment insurance fell by 33,000 to 860,000 for the previous week ending September 12. This number is still about four times the weekly claims number in February, when the recession began. It is also above the high mark for claims before this recession, which dates back to October 1982.
San José, CA – The latest report on unemployment insurance by the Department of Labor showed larger numbers across a number of measures. The number of new claims for regular state UI the week ending September 5 increased by 20,000 from the previous week. The same for the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or PUA for self-employed and gig workers, which rose by more than 90,000, or 12%. Together total new claims rose to almost 1.7 million for the latest week.
Unemployment insurance benefit numbers paint a bleaker picture of labor market
San José, CA – The August jobs report released by the Department of Labor on Friday, September 4 showed that job growth continues to slow. The number of new jobs has gone from 4.8 million in June to 1.8 million in July to only 1.4 million in August. The August figure was even weaker because over 200,000 of these new jobs were temporary 2020 Census jobs. So far, the economy has gained back only half the jobs lost in March and April.
San José, CA – On Thursday, September 3 the U.S. stock market took its biggest fall since in three months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 800 points, or almost 3%. The broader S&P 500 index fell more than 3%, while the tech heavy NASDAQ index fell almost 5%. All of these measures of the stock market had been at or near record highs until their share drop.
San José, CA – On Thursday, August 27, the latest report on unemployment insurance shows that the U.S. economy remains stuck in the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. While new claims for regular state unemployment insurance benefits did drop to a little, over 1 million for the week ending August 22, the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or PUA for gig workers and self-employed rose the same week. Together the two stayed the same as the week before, and slightly higher than two weeks ago. One million new applications for state unemployment insurance is five times the rate at beginning of the year.
San José, CA – With the additional $600 in unemployment benefits gone along with federal eviction protection, President Trump announced that a deal to restore the benefits and protect renters and home buyers “is not going to happen.” With tens of millions of people getting government aid, tens of thousands of evictions underway, and record numbers of people short on food, Trump’s statement may seem so beyond uncaring as to be almost senseless.
Franklin, WI – On the morning of August 7, a crowd of around 80 people marched outside a Strauss Brands meatpacking facility located in the small town of Franklin just south of Milwaukee. In the crowd were workers from United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1473 (UFCW 1473) and their families, and members of other unions and community groups; most visibly immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera.
San José, CA – On Saturday, August 8, President Trump signed four executive orders that he declared would “take care of, pretty much, the entire situation.” But jobless workers will get little or no help from the triple whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis and the recent loss of the additional $600 a week in unemployment benefits, known as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, of FPUC.
San José, CA – On Saturday, August 8, President Trump signed four executive orders that he declared would “take care of, pretty much, the entire situation.” But jobless workers will get little or no help from the triple whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis and the recent loss of the additional $600 a week in unemployment benefits, known as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, of FPUC.
Tallahassee, FL – Around 50 people gathered outside of the Leon County School Board meeting on the afternoon of August 4. The group met in front of the building where the Leon County School Board was meeting to discuss the district’s plans to reopen schools for in-person lessons on August 31. This action came shortly after the community learned that the second of two staff members at a local school had died after contracting COVID-19.
Grand Rapids, MI – Fifty union stagehands chanted, “$600 now!” while pushing music road cases thru downtown Grand Rapids. They began their push at the U.S. Federal Building to demand Senator Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans pass the $600 workers need.
San José, CA – In March and April of this year, more than 20 million jobs were lost because of the economic crisis, COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders to fight the virus. Millions more who were working gig jobs or had their own businesses lost their livelihood. At the time when the government count was done in mid-July, more than 30 million people – almost 20% of the workforce – were collecting some form of unemployment insurance benefits.
