A record-breaking 6,648,000 people filed for unemployment in the week ending March 28 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday. COVID-19 has slammed the U.S. economy, forcing thousands of businesses to shut down amid government-mandated stay-in-place orders.
The Department of Labor said the service industry, led by accommodation and food services, was among the hardest-hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. Other industries that have been heavily impacted include health care/social assistance, manufacturing, retail and construction.
Just a few months ago, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the unemployment rate in the U.S. was near a 50-year low.
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