Highest number of unemployed in USA since World War II

The US economy plummeted as a result of the corona pandemic. The situation on the labor market is also devastating. For the first time, new data show the extent of the historic job crisis.

Washington (AP) - The US unemployment rate rose to 14.7 percent in April as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

This is the highest value since the start of World War II records, the US government said. Before the crisis began in February, the unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, and in March it rose to 4.4 percent.

In the United States, more than 33 million people have applied for unemployment benefits for the first time since March because of the Corona crisis. The unemployment rate for April only records the situation up to the middle of the month due to a delayed data collection. The rate is therefore unlikely to reflect the full extent of the job crisis.

In US history, there was only a higher unemployment rate during the Great Depression in the 1920s and 30s. At that time, quota was estimated to reach around 25 percent.

Almost all 50 states imposed exit restrictions in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Public life came to a standstill for the vast majority of the approximately 330 million Americans. Many shops, malls and factories were closed, restaurants and hotels remained empty. Many employees of these companies applied for unemployment benefits. Layoffs are also quicker and easier in the United States.

Since the beginning of the month, many states have started to slowly relax the corona regulations again - although the pandemic in many places still does not seem to be under control. US President Donald Trump's government therefore hopes that the labor market and the economy will recover rapidly from the third quarter.

The US economy was still buzzing until February, highs were reported on the stock exchange, and experts anticipated economic growth of over two percent. However, the rapid spread of the corona virus since the beginning of March destroyed the good economic outlook. Despite massive stimulus packages, the US is now heading for a deep recession.

This should come at a great inconvenience to Trump, who is running for a second term in the November election. The president recently put pressure on the state to lift corona restrictions to boost the economy again. To do this, he also wants to accept that there will continue to be new infections and deaths.

So far, according to researchers at the University of Johns Hopkins, around 1.26 million corona infections have been detected in the USA - a country with around 330 million inhabitants. This corresponds to approximately every third known infection with the novel coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 worldwide. More than 75,000 people died in the United States.

Data from the University of Johns Hopkins on the corona epidemic, English

Press release on the data from the previous week, English

March Unemployment Press Release, English

Press release from Friday English