According to the US Department of Labor, last week the number of Americans who filed initial applications for unemployment benefits fell to a minimum since the start of the pandemic – to 840 thousand people. At the same time, the number of applications for benefits remains at a level indicating a slowdown in the recovery of the labor market, as the virus epidemic has dragged on. Economists predicted a stronger decline – to 820 thousand people. The number of secondary applications fell to 10.576 million, more than 1 million in a week. The total number of people who have applied for all forms of unemployment benefits fell by just over 1 million to 25.505 million. The ministry's report emphasizes that there is an urgent need for additional fiscal stimulus to help the economy recover from the recession caused by the epidemic. In September, only 661,000 jobs were created in the United States, the smallest increase since the start of the labor market recovery in May. In August, the increase amounted to 1.489 million.
