Unemployment registrations rose again last week in the United States, several states in the country having had to close their economic activity in the face of the appearance of new cases of Covid-19 contamination, according to data published Thursday, July 23 by the US Department of Labor.
Just over 1.4 million new jobless claims were filed between July 12 and 18, up from 1.307 million the week before. Analysts, on the contrary, expected a further decline, and expected 1.285 million new requests.
This is the first time that unemployment has risen over a week since it began its slow decline in early April. The last week of March had recorded a historic record, with 6.6 million people who were unemployed in one week. The total number of Americans registered as unemployed is just under 16.2 million people. This figure is on the decline, but it is published with a week delay, and therefore does not take into account new closings of shops and restaurants.
31 million people receive aid
If we add all the people who have seen their income fall or their self-employment cease, more than 31 million people receive assistance, in particular the 600 dollars a week paid to benefit recipients.
The Trump administration is in favor of an extension of aid for the unemployed, but this time it wants to limit it to 70% of the salary, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced on CNBC on Thursday. But the debate rages with the Democrats, who want to keep the amount of $ 600, but also within the ranks of the Republicans.
This aid has enabled millions of households to avoid falling into poverty. But for his opponents, it is a barrier to returning to work. A large part of the United States has had to close its economy and resume containment measures in the face of a significant increase in cases, after reopening deemed premature which had started in May.