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Self-Employed Aren't Yet Counted In The Soaring Unemployment Numbers
A framing art gallery in Venice Beach on April 01, 2020. Another 6.65 million U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, the most ever recorded. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images)
"We've got people working around the clock, including on Easter, trying to get as many things as possible out there."
More than two million Californians have lost work in the wake of coronavirus-related business closures, according to new unemployment data released Thursday by the Department of Labor.
We take a closer look at those not yet counted in those statistics: The self-employed.
Frustrated freelancers are still waiting for a new filing process to come online, while state officials say they’re doing their best to keep up with an unprecedented surge in applications.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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