Jobless people wait in line to file for unemployment benefits in Arkansas. REUTERSThe number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to a still-massive 5.25 million, capping four weeks of pandemic-related shutdowns that erased more than 10 years of job creation. Initial jobless claims in the week ended April 11 followed 6.62 million the prior week, according to US Labor Department figures last night. The four-week sum of 22 million filings compares with 21.5 million jobs added during the expansion that began in June 2009. Shares of HSBC (0005) fell 2.22 percent to HK$39.7 while Standard Chartered (2888) dropped 3.55 percent.

Source: The Standard April 16, 2020 19:07 UTC