Unemployment continues to rise in the US, as US unemployment rate rose to 14.7 percent in April, from just 4.4 percent in March, the highest rate since the Depression. Chinese experts warned this shows the US prevention measures were in vain and governance is crumbling.
The virus is a great test for the organization and recognition of the US government. It reflects that the epidemic prevention and control measures did not work, and the US is currently in a state of fragmentation, Tian Yun, vice director of the Beijing Economic Operation Association, told the Global Times on Friday. “Trump’s administration has accelerated the division,” he added.
His comment came at the moment when US released its data on unemployment in April.
First-time filings for unemployment insurance hit 3.2 million last week, bringing the total to 33.5 million over the past seven weeks, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
“The rising unemployment shows US is in a slow recovery of the recession brought by the virus, and it could face big depression if things cannot get better,” said Bai Ming, deputy director of the Ministry of Commerce’s International Market Research Institute.
“The virus is hurting the US economy, and the consequence could be worse by the financial crisis,” he added.
The US President is seeking to win re-election in November, and this crisis has made him in trouble after the government’s initial response to the epidemic was criticized.
The infection number and fatalities continued to rise in the US. COVID-19 has killed more than 76,000 Americans and infected over 1.3 million in three months.
States in the US have different attitude on the virus, as some have a strict control on the virus, and some pay more attention on the work resumption, and when facing the same enemy virus, they lack national mobilization, and the US government’s organizational capability collapses, Tian added.
There are signs of improvement in Europe, but infection data in America has not declined, and even without any signs of improvement. In the future, the unemployed population in the US will remain high, Tian added.
Infographic: Globaltimes.cn
