Unemployment

The coronavirus relief measures put in place by President Donald Trump Aug. 8 are not expected to provide significant relief to people most in need of assistance because of the pandemic-induced recession, political observers said.

Distinctly Catholic: I hope Republicans will think about the consequences for public health if cities have to start laying off workers. Want to make a pandemic worse? Cut back on garbage collection, cut resources for hospitals, make it harder for schools to reopen safely.

Signs of the Times: The time is already past to admit that the coronavirus pandemic in the United States is a moral crisis, not simply a public health and economic crisis. 

On June 9 and 10, Washington Catholics joined in prayer, eucharistic adoration and hearing from organizations and elected officials about the need for a COVID-19 relief fund for undocumented workers in the state.

Catholic groups across Europe have echoed Pope Francis' call for a universal basic wage as part of recovery plans after the coronavirus pandemic.

Commentary: Until mid-March, being an Uber driver in Chicago was worth the money. But as workers turned to home offices, the ride requests dwindled; those that remained didn't seem worth the risk of infection.

Unemployment in the U.S. has swelled to levels last seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s, with 1 in 6 American workers thrown out of a job by the coronavirus.

A staggering 16.8 million Americans have been thrown onto the unemployment rolls in just three weeks, underscoring the terrifying speed with which the coronavirus outbreak has brought world economies to their knees.