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US Jobless Claims Rise To 885,000 As States Tighten Restrictions

Initial jobless claims rose for the second consecutive week with states tightening restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Posted at 4:59 PM, Dec 17, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-17 16:59:16-05

New numbers from the Labor Department further illustrate the pandemic's impact on the labor force. 

885,000 people filed unemployment claims for the first time last week. 

The total has risen two consecutive weeks and is at its highest level in months after states tightened restrictions in response to the worsening pandemic. 

Overall, more than 20 million Americans are on some form of jobless benefits.