3:00
- ABC News
- April 2, 2020
6.6 million people file for unemployment
The novel coronavirus pandemic has clobbered the U.S. economy.
3:00
.....Could be as high as 15 Million Barrels. Good (GREAT) news for everyone!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2020
Shortly after Trump's tweet, however, a spokesperson for Putin denied that he spoke to the Saudi crown prince.
Still, prices for Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, spiked more than 23% on Thursday. West Texas Intermediate crude oil, the U.S. benchmark, similarly jumped more than 24%.
Amazon announced Thursday a series of new safety measures for its employees.
The company said it would check the temperature of all staff when they arrived at work and employees with a temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit would be sent home.
Moreover, Amazon said it would increase the supply of personal protective equipment as well as disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer. Daily audits of its new health and safety measures would also be conducted.
The announcement comes just days after a group of workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York City walked off the job and went on strike Monday, demanding the company shut down and thoroughly clean the sprawling facility after they say multiple employees there have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
A record-smashing 6,648,000 people filed for unemployment in the week ending March 28 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday.
The COVID-19 financial crisis has clobbered the U.S. economy, forcing thousands of businesses to shutter amid government-mandated stay-in-place orders.
![\"ABC](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/UnemploymentClaims_v04_KA_hpEmbed_17x12_384.jpg\")
The service industry, led by accommodation and food services, was among the hardest-hit by the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the DOL data. Other industries that have been heavily impacted include health care/social assistance, manufacturing, retail and construction, the DOL said.
Friday's staggering figure is an increase of more than 3 million from the previous record -- which was just released last week -- that showed the first labor impacts of the outbreak in the U.S.
Just a few months ago, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the unemployment rate in the U.S. was near a 50-year low.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Business/record-66-million-americans-file-unemployment-amid-coronavirus/story?id=69933811","legacySlug":"/news/story/record-66-million-americans-file-unemployment-amid-coronavirus-69933811","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"20:10","publishDate":"04-02-2020","updatedTime":"10:04","updatedDate":"04-06-2020","socialImage":{"alt":"Visitors to the Department of Labor are turned away at the door by personnel due to closures over coronavirus concerns in New York, March 18, 2020.","credit":"John Minchillo/AP, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Business/unemployment-ap-er-200326_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"4/2/2020 20:10:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":69933811,"headline":"6.6 million people file for unemployment","mediaAssetTitle":"THORBECKE_unemployment_claims_20204","description":"The novel coronavirus pandemic has clobbered the U.S. economy. ","duration":"3:00","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/04/200402_vod_covid_daily_thurs_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132055565","131830882","130993584"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 8, 2026","headline":"Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","section":"News","slug":"/video/131830882","id":"131830882","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"March 12, 2026","headline":"Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","section":"News","slug":"/video/130993584","id":"130993584","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"6.6 million people file for unemployment","description":"The novel coronavirus pandemic has clobbered the U.S. economy. ","duration":"3:00","uploadDate":"04-02-2020","publication":"04-02-2020","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/04/200402_vod_covid_daily_thurs_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/04/200402_vod_covid_daily_thurs_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/record-66-million-americans-file-unemployment-amid-coronavirus-69933811"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131142257","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131046664","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131048076","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131033212","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130999943","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130971027","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"6.6 million people file for unemployment","pubTime":"16:10","pubDate":"04-02-2020","modTime":"06:04","modDate":"04-06-2020","taxonomyTags":"none","id":69933811,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"6.6 million people file for unemployment","mediaAssetTitle":"THORBECKE_unemployment_claims_20204","videoId":69933811,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/record-66-million-americans-file-unemployment-amid-coronavirus-69933811"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/69933811","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/69933811","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};