The pace of layoffs has since declined but remains historically high in the face of the resurgence of Covid-19 cases. The steady decline since then means that some unemployed Americans are finding work and no longer receiving aid. A separate benefits program for jobless people who have exhausted their regular state aid and another benefits program for self-employed and gig workers will also be extended only until early spring, well before the economy will likely have fully recovered. The number of people receiving aid under the second program — the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which provides federal jobless benefits to people who have exhausted their state aid — fell by nearly 8,200 to 4.8 million. All told, 20.4 million people are now receiving some type of unemployment benefits.

Source: Manila Times December 23, 2020 15:33 UTC