4.4 Million More Americans File Jobless Claims The Labor Department released the numbers on Thursday.
The five-week total of those who have filed claims since the beginning of the U.S. coronavirus outbreak now exceeds 26.4 million.
The addition of 4.4 million jobless claims is more than the 4.3 million claims that were expected.
The number represents a loss of all jobs that have been added since the Great Recession.
This means that the next unemployment rate to be released by the Labor Department is likely now a staggering 23 percent.
The record high unemployment rate set during the Great Depression was 24.9 percent.
Analysts noted that 810,000 less claims were filed last week than the week prior.
Economist Ian Shepherdson
