Virus unleashing new wave of US layoffsA 'We're Hiring' sign advertising jobs is seen at the entrance of a restaurant, as Miami-Dade County eases some of the lockdown measures put in place during the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Miami, Florida, on May 18. New claims for state unemployment benefits totaled a seasonally adjusted 2.123 million for the week ended May 23, from a revised 2.446 million in the prior week, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast initial claims falling to 2.1 million in the latest week from the previously reported 2.438 million. Though claims have declined steadily since hitting a record 6.867 million in late March, they have not registered below 2 million since mid-March. The second wave of layoffs could grow bigger, with Boeing announcing on Wednesday it was eliminating more than 12,000 US jobs and also disclosing it planned "several thousand remaining layoffs" in the next few months.

Source: Bangkok Post May 28, 2020 12:33 UTC