Listening to @KatyTurNBC press Sen. Mike Braun on the $600, I am glad to have written this yesterday debunking the talking point that the UI plus-up keeps folks on their couches https://t.co/Ii6CwS5Ihc

— Phil Elliott (@Philip_Elliott) August 4, 2020

In the richest country in the world, no one should ever have to make a choice between food and medication they need to survive.

Time is of the essence. We must extend the $600 weekly unemployment benefit right away. https://t.co/J8LLBCxKPM

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) August 4, 2020

Jared Bernstein, fmr. economic policy adviser to Joe Biden, on $600 unemployment benefits expiring:

“You’re talking about a bunch of politicians who have perfectly cushy jobs are just delaying vital help to people who desperately need it.”https://t.co/swrW01shCE

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 4, 2020

So according to Mnuchin a few hundred bucks in unemployment benefits makes American workers lazy, but billions in bailouts for Wall St. and corporations is good for the economy? https://t.co/psexsBWqu4

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) August 2, 2020

As a laid off retail worker in Texas told me:

"The best scenario for me would be to find a job," said Olga Kaufman, 57. "Unemployment is never a sure thing. You can’t go to bed at night and say, 'ok, I’m on unemployment.' That is temporary." https://t.co/wosvi9dvbi

— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) July 31, 2020

The unemployment situation is really, really badhttps://t.co/TPSNucBzyi

— Axios (@axios) July 24, 2020

Psst. President Donald Trump's political base has escaped the worst of the economic fallout from Covid-19. My latest, with Allan James Vestal. https://t.co/dh8A8lx5SD

— Timothy Noah (@TimothyNoah1) May 8, 2020

The US unemployment rate is ugly, but it isn't the full picture.

44 million workers lost a job — or had hours cut
18 million "temporarily" laid off
11 mil forced to be part-time
10 mil want job but couldn't look
5 mil actively looked 4 jobhttps://t.co/92w84u9bQh @alyssafowers pic.twitter.com/ks6fkQENFW

— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) May 8, 2020

U.S. unemployment hit 14.7% in April. But joblessness varied by race and education:

▪️ White people: 14.2%
▪️ Asian people: 14.5%
▪️ Black people: 16.7%
▪️ Latino people: 18.9%

For people without high school degrees, it was 21.2% (vs. 8.4% for college graduates). pic.twitter.com/dHINJnoy1O

— AJ+ (@ajplus) May 8, 2020

Analysis: Trump once took credit for low unemployment among black Americans.

Now that rate has doubled. https://t.co/Z3KQbPlWez

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 8, 2020

Unemployment:
🇺🇸14.7%
🇩🇰4.9%

McDonald's hourly wage:
🇺🇸$9
🇩🇰$22

Weeks of paid vacation:
🇺🇸0
🇩🇰5

COVID19 deaths per million:
🇺🇸231
🇩🇰87

COVID19 tests per 1,000:
🇺🇸24
🇩🇰49

Maybe Americans deserve the same safety and dignity that Denmark's people enjoy.https://t.co/irRVh3WylZ

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 8, 2020

Leisure & hospitality lost 7.7M jobs.

That's 47% of the ENTIRE industry.

5.5M jobs lost in food service alone.

1.4M jobs lost in HEALTHCARE.

Record 103,415,000 not in labor force.

Unemployment in San Diego: 27%.

Meanwhile, pro-lockdown people say it's "for our own good."

— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) May 8, 2020

Workers without college degree hit hardest by record unemployment https://t.co/6lgMvyQRy4

— Ali Velshi (@AliVelshi) May 8, 2020

As we see our economy cast into the abyss, consider that the coronavirus pandemic is not the only villain. Conservatives’ steady and willful weakening of the national safety net set the working class up for a fall. Take a bow, gents. Right off that cliff. https://t.co/0ZkRX0UuIC

— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) May 8, 2020

Why April's jobs report does not capture the true unemployment rate @jchatterleyCNN reports pic.twitter.com/0PFMjBkPRs

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) May 8, 2020

Weekend reads: The unemployment undercount https://t.co/zRemlBpd2m

— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) May 8, 2020

Why did healthcare shed 1.4 million jobs in April? Doesn't a pandemic require more healthcare workers?

Actually, the money-making parts of the US medical-industrial complex (elective procedures, joint replacements, etc) have shut down.

That's where lots of jobs are.

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) May 8, 2020