Jobless Claims Topped 1 Million Last Week

The coronavirus recession struck swiftly and violently. Now, with the U.S. economy still in the grip of the outbreak five months later, the recovery looks fitful and uneven — and painfully slow.

The latest evidence came Thursday, when the government reported that the number of workers applying for unemployment climbed back over 1 million last week after two weeks of declines.

The figures suggest that employers are still slashing jobs even as some businesses reopen and some sectors like housing and manufacturing have rebounded.

“Getting the virus in check dictates...

The unexpected jump in weekly initial jobless numbers to more than 1 million is a red flag about the stability of small business in the United States.

The first week of claims data after the Paycheck Protection Program stopped accepting applications shows the need for renewed stimulus for small businesses and consumers, advocates and business owners say.

“We’ve had to lay off and furlough. The good thing is business is picking up, but we're nowhere near where we were March 12 — that was our last working day before the...