The Department of Labor shows that 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week.
This marks a record week for unemployment, surpassing any single week during The Great Recession of the 2000s.
Washington points toward the recently-passed CARES Act to give unemployed workers and business owners hope in increasingly drastic financial situations.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi explained, “We want to make sure that all Americans understand the opportunity that is in the Care bill for them -- if they’re unemployed; if they’re a small business.”
6.6 million people is the equivalent of 4% of the American workforce. With more than 10 million people filing for unemployment in the last two weeks, the country’s economy will continue to see big changes.