Coronavirus: US unemployment claims hit 26.4 million

A further 4.4 million Americans registered for unemployment benefits last week as the coronavirus pandemic kept much of the country in lockdown.

The new applications brought the total number of jobless claims since mid-March to 26.4 million.

That amounts to more than 15% of the US workforce.

However, the most recent data marked the third week that the number of new claims has declined – a sign that the worst of the shock may be over.