Applications for unemployment benefits grow in the United States

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The United States Department of Labor reported today that the number of people in this nation who applied for unemployment benefits increased to 965 thousand last week, the highest figure since August. The report clarifies that the slight increase is proof that the new peak of Covid-19 causes growth in layoffs. The numbers remain at levels never seen before the pandemic, when the typical weekly number of claims for benefits was 225,000. In the middle of last year, when the national quarantines were decreed, applications for unemployment benefits rose to almost seven million, 10 times the previous record. Although they later fell, they remain above 700 thousand since September. The high rate of layoffs coincides with a weak economy as consumers avoid traveling, shopping and eating at restaurants as contagion increases. More than 4,300 deaths from the pandemic were reported on Tuesday, a new record. The president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden, will present during this day an economic aid package that aims to get the country out of the worst crisis since the 30s, due to the worsening of unemployment figures due to the impact of Covid- 19. A new stimulus package of 900 billion dollars was approved in late December in this country. The figure is insufficient according to the future president.