States reported that 742,000 U.S. workers filed for new unemployment benefits during the week ending Nov. 14, an increase of 31,000 from the previous week.
The total number of workers continuing to claim unemployment benefits fell last week, to 6.3 million. The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program for people whose benefits have run their course has been showing a steady rise in claims however, now up to 4.3 million.
Approximately 20 million people are in the process of collecting some kind of state or federal unemployment aid. The future is uncertain as employers continue to hire but rising coronavirus cases across the nation may lead to more joblessness.