LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska saw record unemployment yet again last week as the new coronavirus forced more businesses to lay off workers, according to new data release Thursday.
The state received 26,788 new unemployment claims during the week that ended April 4, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The new numbers mark the third straight week with a record-setting increase.
The previous record of 24,725 was set in the prior week as state officials imposed new social-distancing restrictions on business and residents hunkered down at home to keep the virus from spreading. That number surpassed the earlier record of 15,700 new claims, which had been set the week before.
The United States had 6.6 million people seeking jobless benefits last week, meaning that more than 10% of workers have lost their jobs in the last three weeks to the coronavirus outbreak.