Another 3.2 million Americans file for unemployment
CGTN

Unemployment continues to grow in the U.S., as the COVID-19 outbreak leaves millions of Americans without work.

Around 3.2 million more Americans filed for unemployment over the last week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics – that’s 1 in 5 workers.

The newest numbers bring the total to around 33.5 million Americans since large scale shutdowns were put in place in mid-March.  The numbers peaked at 6.9 million in the last week of March

Productivity fell 2.5% in the first quarter of 2020, according to a report released Thursday – the biggest drop since the fourth quarter in 2015.

Economists polled by Reuters expect a slow recovery for the economy after the GDP slumped at its steepest number since the Great Recession.

While the U.S. death toll approaches 75,000 from COVID-19, President Donald Trump told a reporter on ABC News the U.S. would probably need to accept more deaths in order to reopen the economy.

When asked if there will be more deaths during the reopening of the U.S., the president conceded that more fatalities would be likely.

"It's possible there will be some because you won't be locked into an apartment or a house or whatever it is," Trump said.

More than half the states in the U.S. have already began to reopen their economies, despite concerns from experts on worsening cases and deaths.

Pennsylvania and Arkansas are preparing to reopen by the end of the month.

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