US job losses mount as economic pain deepens worldwide

CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and LORI HINNANT

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ranks of America's unemployed swelled toward Great Depression-era levels Thursday in an unprecedented collapse that intensified the push-pull from the White House on down over how and when to lift the coronavirus restrictions that have crippled the economy.

The government said 5.2 million more Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the four-week total to about 22 million out of a work force of 159 million — easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record. The losses translate to about 1 i...