In less than a month, more than a tenth of the American workforce has been forced out of their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. The job losses represent the single greatest increase in unemployment since the housing bubble burst in 2008, with jobless numbers expected to increase to as high as 20%. Despite some efforts by federal and state legislatures to curtail the effects, workers are feeling the job losses hard, and it’s not clear when people will be able to return to work.
The coronavirus is a highly infectious disease that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of infections and thousands of deaths across the United States. Hospitals have been overwhelmed by those sick with the coronavirus, and most states have implemented some version of a quarantine to try to slow the rate of infection. As a result, many businesses are effectively closed for the foreseeable future, with their workers furloughed or unemployed as a result.
This has led to an unprecedented number of unemployment claims in a short period of time, with more than 16 million people filing for unemployment in just three weeks in March. This accounts for more than ten percent of the total workforce, who are now stuck at home without a paycheck or job benefits. Even with improved unemployment benefits due to the CARES Act, it is likely that many people will remain out of work even once the crisis has passed.
If you have gotten into a legal dispute with your employer or are seeking jobless benefits, it is important that you seek the guidance of an experienced New York employment lawyer who can protect your legal rights and advocate on your behalf. Steven Mitchell Sack, the Employee’s Lawyer, is a New York employment lawyer with more than 39 years’ experience handling the many aspects of employment law. To schedule an appointment with New York City employment lawyer Steven Mitchell Sack, call (917) 371-8000.
