New unemployment claims in the United States have recorded approximately 861,000 requests in the past week, representing an increase of about 10% from last week's claims of 793,000. This number remains significantly higher than historical averages, with layoffs continuing in various industries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as retail and hospitality.
According to weekly data, 516,299 new individuals filed for claims under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for the week ending February 13. This program expands benefits for self-employed individuals who are not eligible for traditional state programs. Around 18.3 million people are still receiving some form of government unemployment assistance for the week ending January 30, a substantial increase compared to the 2.1 million claims filed in the same week in 2020. This figure surpasses the number of Americans considered unemployed, which stands at about 10 million, due to the large number of people who have left the workforce because they are no longer job searching.
Economists had predicted 773,000 new unemployment claims for last week, indicating that the recovery in the labor market remains unstable. Many experts expect that a return to pre-pandemic levels may take years and could be worse than previously feared.
