Unemployment

Economy

A Staggering Toll: 30 Million Have Filed For Unemployment

9:55am April 30, 2020

by Scott Horsley

Another 3.8 million people filed claims for unemployment last week, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to weigh on the U.S. job market. That brought the total for the past 6 weeks to 30.3 million.

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Kersha Cartwright, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Labor, said the office "is encouraging employees to work with their employers on a safe return-to-work plan."

As Governors Urge Businesses To Reopen, Workers May Be Pushed Off Unemployment

11:47am April 29, 2020

by Vanessa Romo

Employees who refuse to return to work out of concern for their safety will lose state and federal benefits. It's a predicament millions will soon face as lawmakers set to restart their economies.

Before they were laid off, Maxwell Kirsner and Natalie Borowicz, his fiancée, both worked for a company that staged big events in New York City.

Set Builder: 'It's New York City ... Eventually, Events Have to Come Back'

10:48am April 27, 2020

by Scott Horsley

Maxwell Kirsner built sets for big events. Then he, his fiancée and their coworkers were laid off. Kirsner says he's optimistic the city will make it back, but he's worried how long that will take.

David Roode and his wife, a concert pianist, have done some recording while on lockdown in Cincinnati. And they've tapped into savings they typically rely on during the slower summer months.

A Trombonist Wonders When An Audience Will Gather To Hear Music

2:06pm April 23, 2020

by Scott Horsley

David Roode's musical career went abruptly on hold when stay-at-home orders took effect. He predicts that when the crisis passes, people will want to enjoy the experience of attending concerts again.

Angelita Wynn, a school bus driver in Pittsburgh, says her abrupt layoff and the delay in jobless benefits has thrown her for a loop.

School Bus Driver: I Lost My Job Over The Dispatch Radio

1:48pm April 23, 2020

by Scott Horsley

Angelita Wynn was driving kids back home on her afternoon run one day in March when she got word she was losing her job. With her savings dwindling, "it has led to sleepless nights and anxious days."

Employees assemble motors at a Mercedes-Benz factory in Stuttgart, Germany, on Wednesday. The German government pays much of laid-off workers' salaries for up to 12 months during economic crises.

Europe's Economy Was Hit Hard Too, But Jobs Didn't Disappear Like In The U.S.

10:41am April 23, 2020

by Jim Zarroli

Many governments, especially in European countries, are handling unemployment differently, paying companies to keep their workers on the payroll until the pandemic is over.

As more and more workers lose jobs, many states say they are seeing the trust funds used to pay unemployment benefits begin to run low.

Economy

Deluge Continues: 26 Million Jobs Lost In Just 5 Weeks

9:59am April 23, 2020

The number of people forced out of work during the coronavirus lockdown keeps soaring. Last week, 4.4 million people filed for jobless benefits, boosting the total since last month to 26 million.

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Some businesses that want to stay open say it's hard to do so when employees can make more money by staying home.

Economy

Bitter Taste For Coffee Shop Owner, As New $600 Jobless Benefit Drove Her To Close

4:41pm April 21, 2020

by Scott Horsley

The new federal benefit is designed to cushion the blow of the pandemic. But some businesses that want to stay open say it's hard to do so when employees can make more money by staying home.

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"It's really intense and it's really frightening," says Nicolena Loshonkohl in Roanoke, Va. She's a single mom with a 2-year-old daughter and lost her job at a hair salon a month ago. Loshonkohl is still waiting on the bulk of her unemployment benefits to

Unemployment Money Not Reaching Millions Of People Who Applied

2:26pm April 16, 2020

by Chris Arnold

Nearly 17 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in recent weeks, but a large portion have yet to receive any money. Freelancers and gig workers face some of the longest delays.

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People who lost their jobs wait in line to file for unemployment benefits at an Arkansas Workforce Center in Fayetteville, Ark., on April 6.

10 Years Of Spectacular U.S. Job Growth Nearly Wiped Out In 4 Weeks

9:56am April 16, 2020

The number of people filing for unemployment climbed by another 5.2 million, as the toll of the nation's economic dive continues to mount. In the past four weeks, 22 million have filed claims.