Unemployment at Record Levels
Department of Labor
We ran the numbers: There are 1475 news articles covering this topic. 40% (593) are left leaning, 39% (581) center, 20% (301) right leaning.
According to the Labor Department, a staggering 6.6 million Americans claimed unemployment benefits last week. While left-leaning articles suggest that the actual unemployment numbers are likely worse than what is being projected, right-leaning articles focus on its impact on the nation’s lowest wages: the service industry.
A left-leaning article by The New York Times highlights that the stunning figures on jobless claims don’t tell the complete story on how fully the pandemic has brought commerce to a halt, as many people who lost jobs did not initially qualify for benefits. The article also notes that the impact of the coronavirus initially concentrated in employers working in tourism, hospitality and related industries, but now it is spreading into law firms, technology start-ups, and other white-collar employers.
NPR published a centrist article reporting that in just two weeks, almost all jobs gained in the last five years have been lost. The unemployment rate is expected to shoot up in coming weeks, with some estimates putting it at 15%.
A right-leaning article by The New York Post echos an equally dismal sentiment regarding unemployment but focuses on its impact on the nation’s lowest wages. The article writes, that the Hotel Trades Council prediction that about 90 percent of its roughly 40,000 unionized hotel workers in the city would be laid off or furloughed — if they haven’t been yet.