A closed shopping mall is seen in Lima, Ohio on March 24, 2020 amidst the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Megan JELINGER/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
By Christopher Rugaber
A record-long streak of U.S. job growth ended suddenly in March after nearly a decade as employers cut 701,000 jobs because of the viral outbreak that's all but shut down the U.S. economy. The unemployment rate jumped to 4.4% from a 50-year low of 3.5%.
Last month's actual job loss was likely even larger because the government surveyed employers before the heaviest layoffs hit in the past two week. Nearly 10 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in the last two weeks of March, far exceeding the figure for any corresponding period on record.
Virus-induced shutdowns have forced widespread layoffs throughout the economy, from hotels, restaurants and movie theaters to auto factories, department stores and administrative offices.
One sign of how painfully deep the job losses will likely prove to be: During its nearly decade-long hiring streak, the U.S. economy added 22.8 million jobs. Economists expect the April jobs report being released in early May to show that all those jobs will have been lost.
Should real estate agents fear AI? Tushar Garg CEO at Flyhomes says no. He joined Cheddar to discuss the future of AI in the Real Estate business and more.
Christopher Zara, Senior Editor at Fast Company joined Cheddar to discuss the newly formed "DOGE"’s new goal to cut 2-trillion dollars from federal spending.
Sharon Price John CEO and President at Build-A-Bear Workshop discusses leading the brand, new offerings, the status of Brick-and-Mortar experiences and more!
A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims.
Ryan Serhant, Founder and CEO of SERHANT, discusses the current Real Estate Market, the launch of S.MPLE by SERHANT, Season 2 of Owning Manhattan and more.
