America’s fragile jobs market 
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The number of Americans seeking jobless benefits fell by 249,000 last
week, but a staggering 31.3 million people were receiving unemployment benefits in July, according to the U.S. Department of Labor
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People claiming insured unemployment benefits (all programmes)

00 Covid-19 cases (cumulative)

Millions 
30
25
20
15
10
5 
0

14 2.1 
21 3.4
28 8.2

4  12.5
11 16.3
18 18.9
25 25.4

2  27.3
9  30.9
16 29.9
23 29.5
30 29.3

6  30.6
13 31.5
20 32.9
27 32.0

4 31.8
11 30.8
18 31.3

MAR APR MAY JUN JUL

Mar 20: U.S. states go into lockdown

3,647,715 
2,220,961
1,443,397
702,164
2,174

31,308,679 Jobless total (July 18)
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Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, Our World in Data Pictures: Associated Press © GRAPHIC NEWS