There is no federal standard for unemployment benefits, so states create their own rules.

More than 1.4 million laid-off Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week

Some who have lost jobs because of COVID still have not filed for unemployment benefits, even though they’re eligible.

Money in jobless people’s pockets can stimulate the economy, but longer unemployment payments could slow a recovery, experts say.

The rise in weekly jobless claims to 1.4 million underscores the outsize role the unemployment insurance system is playing as a safety net.

States had suspended the requirement in the early weeks of the crisis, but some have now brought it back.

In Los Angeles, more than 220,000 people applied to the city’s rent relief fund, but there is only enough money to help 50,000 people.

Normally, jobless workers receiving unemployment cut their spending by 7%. But a JPMorgan Chase study found it’s rising — by 10%.

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The number of laid-off workers seeking jobless aid is stuck at a historically high level.