Nearly 3 Million Sought Jobless Benefits Last Week

Number seeking jobless aid has subsided since initial layoffs surge but is still at historically high levels

Nearly 3 million workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the total number of applications in two months of coronavirus-related disruptions to 36.5 million.

The number of Americans seeking jobless aid is still at historically high levels but has subsided since an initial surge in layoffs drove claims up to a weekly peak of nearly 7 million at the end of March.

“The numbers are very high, but they’re stepping down every...