Too Long; Didn't Read
With 3.3 million new unemployment claims in one week alone, states are dealing with the economic fallout of the coronavirus. In several states, online benefits systems have buckled under the crush of new applicants. Advocates say the virus has closed public spaces like libraries, whose computers people used to use to file for benefits, eroding access to a crucial lifeline even further. In Michigan, the director of the state’s unemployment insurance agency said “an unprecedented number of calls and clicks has challenged the system, particularly during peak hours"