US Jobless Report: 6.6 million Americans filed last week

According to today's report from the Labor Department, another 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment claims last week. 

This follows nearly 10 million Americans applying for unemployment benefits in the past two weeks, bringing the total to over 16 million people filing for first-time benefits. Even the total number is likely a few million below the actual number of Americans who lost their jobs as the economy abruptly shuttered last month.

Beyond the hardest hit professions including the restaurant industry and travel-related fields, the new report includes hundreds of thousands of retail workers who are now out of a job. 

Economists believe the unemployment rate could hit double-digits this month, up from March's rate of 4.4%.

The $2.2 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress last month includes part time and furloughed workers among those able to apply for claims.

The CARES Act also opened up unemployment claims to include the self-employed and independent contractors.