WASHINGTON, D.C. — Over 1.5 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment aid during the week ending June 6, the U.S. Department of Labor reports. The coronavirus has continued its grasp on the U.S. economy, but several governors have allowed their respective states to reopen certain aspects of the economy, including stores, restaurants, office buildings and amusement parks. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last Friday that the economy added 2.5 million jobs in the month of May.
Furthermore, for the 10th straight week, the first-time claims have been lower than the previous week, with the most recent figure showing a decrease of 355,000 claims. Additionally, the continued claims decreased by 339,000 on a week-over-week basis to 20.9 million. The four-week moving average of the initial jobless claims for this week was just over 2 million claims, down by 286,250 claims the prior week.