The U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday morning that 2.98 million jobless claims were filed over the past week.
The total number of unemployment claims filed since social distancing guidelines were instituted to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic sits just north of 36 million, according to the Department of Labor’s reported data. Recent estimates from Goldman Sachs project U.S. unemployment to peak around 25% later this year.
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 13: Colorado Governor Jared Polis (C) wears a face mask as U.S. President Donald Trump makes remarks during a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, May 13, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)
Thursday’s figures marked a roughly 195,000-claim decrease compared to the previous week, but still outpaced the 2.5 million claims projected by some experts. (EXCLUSIVE: Mike Pence, University Presidents Discuss Reopening Campuses After Trump Supporters Urge White House To Launch College-Specific Task Force)
The data comes as President Donald Trump has urged states to enter a phased reopening plan, in accordance with safety guidelines outlined by the White House task force’s health experts, Drs. Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci. The White House announced earlier in the week that $11 billion was being provided directly to states to expand their testing capacities, in accordance with the phased guidelines.
Task force head Vice President Mike Pence has also hosted conference calls with leaders from various industries to discuss the guidelines and novel ways each sector can keep people safe after reopening.
