US Weekly Jobless Claims br Jump to 6.6 Million The U.S. Labor Department reported 6.6 million people filed for unemployment insurance in the past week. A reported 10 million people br have filed over the past two weeks. Prior to economic shutdowns br due to the coronavirus, the highest number br of claims in a week was 695,000 in 1982. The complete shutdown of industries from br social distancing policies caused joblessness unlike br anything the nation has previously seen. The recently approved $2 trillion stimulus package will allow workers to stay on unemployment longer and expand the scope of those who can receive benefits. The goal of the stimulus is to help mitigate br some of the devastating economic effects from br the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.