US jobless claims soar past 30 million; Europe reeling also

DAVID CRARY, CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and JOHN LEICESTER

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Bleak new figures Thursday underscored the worldwide economic pain inflicted by the coronavirus: The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits has climbed past a staggering 30 million, while Europe's economies are in an epic slide.

The statistics are likely to turn up the pressure on politicians to ease the lockdowns that have closed factories and other businesses.

In the U.S., the government reported that 3.8 million laid-off workers applied for jobless benefits last week, raising the total to abou...