US is set to find itself in more trouble as applications for
the unemployment benefits in the country rose to 778,000, rising by 30,000 from previous week, according to the government
data on Wednesday.

A concerned Labor Department said that the adjusted initial claims in the last week were 30,000 more than the
previous week, reported AFP.

The data included another 311,675 claims filed under a program for workers not
normally eligible. The program’s validity is due to expire at the end of 2020,
unless Congress which is quite clear on not passing more stimulus for the economy
decides to renew it.

Noting the current
unemployment trends in the US, Robert Frick of Navy Federal Credit Union said: “Weekly
unemployment insurance claims are moving in the wrong direction, the 0.2% drop
in the insured unemployment rate to 4.1%  as of the week ended November 14 was smaller
than expected and another worrying sign.”

The data also indicated that as of the week ended November 7, more than 466,000 people moved from the
time-limited regular unemployment benefits to a special program passed during
the pandemic that provides aid to the long-term unemployed.

Claims have been
trending downwards for months after spiking into the millions in March as the
pandemic began, but they have yet to dip below the worst single week seen in
the 2008-2010 global financial crisis.

All in all, nearly 20.5 million people were receiving aid as of the week ended November 7.