Initial U.S. unemployment claims successfully filed last week hit a staggering 6.648 million—a record amount and double the number registered just a week ago, according to figures released early Thursday by the Department of Labor. Bloomberg News reports the figure far surpassed analysts’ estimates, which had a median of 3.76 million. The department also revised the numbers it reported last Thursday for those newly out of work, to 3.31 million. The new figures may not be a full picture, however: Several states have had their unemployment filing systems crash under the new heavy demands.
