There were still more than nine million people receiving unemployment insurance under state programs — or emergency programs that extend state benefits — as of mid-April, the latest data available. That total, which does not include workers on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, has fallen in recent weeks but has done so more slowly than new applications. The report is expected to show that employers added about one million jobs last month, up from 916,000 in March. Some have blamed enhanced unemployment benefits for discouraging people from returning to work. Economic research has found that unemployment benefits can reduce the intensity with which workers search for jobs.

Source: New York Times May 06, 2021 11:48 UTC