The Senate voted to provide seven additional weeks of payments to people who have exhausted their benefits. Those in states where the unemployment rate is above 6% would be entitled to an additional 13 weeks above the 26 weeks of regular benefits. Benefit checks average about $300 a week nationwide.
Last week there were half million new jobless claims filed. Companies reporting layoffs in past week include Citigroup, which slashed 20% of its workforce, or 50,000 jobs, the biggest cut by a corporation in 15 years. Financial services firm Fidelity Investments announced that it will cut 1,700 jobs, and Sun Microsystems reported that it would lay off 6,000 people, or 18% of its work force.
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