unemployment aid soared last week to 965,000, the most since late August, offering evidence that the resurgent virus has caused a spike in layoffs.
The Labor Department issued the latest figures for jobless claims, which remain at levels never seen until the virus struck in March.
Before the pandemic, weekly applications typically numbered around 225,000. Last spring, after nationwide shutdowns took effect, applications for jobless benefits spiked to nearly 7 million — 10 times the previous record high. — President-elect Joe Biden’s coronavirus action plan aims to bring new urgency to the nation’s vaccination campaign coupled with another round of economic relief.