Despite 315,000 jobs being added in the U.S. in August, the national unemployment rate increased by .2% to 3.7%.

The biggest culprit: The number of Americans in the labor market went up in August. Nearly 600,000 Americans attempted to rejoin the labor market. With more Americans also of working age, the total size of the U.S. workforce grew by 786,000 Americans in August.

The workforce includes people currently employed or looking for jobs.

"There is clear evidence that the employment situation continues to be strong," said Scott Blumsack, chief strategy officer at Monster. "But there's a little bit of evidence that things are starting to moderate a bit."

Blumsack said a large number of available jobs could be nudging people back into the workforce.

But the household budget could be playing a role, as well.

"We saw the personal savings rate increase significantly through the pandemic," Blumsack said. "Now, especially with the impact of inflation, people have less of that financial cushion. With inflation being what it is, that may be an incentive to go back."

In addition to older Americans rejoining the labor market, nearly 300,000 workers aged 16-19 entered the workforce.

The national workforce participation rate increased by .3% to 62.4%. The labor participation rate, however, remains below pre-pandemic levels.

"There are still a lot of factors, driven by the pandemic and the experience we've had over the last few years, that are keeping labor force participation down," said Daniel Zhao, lead economist at Glassdoor.

"The most prominent example is long COVID," Zhao said. "That's still a huge question mark, how many people we can actually get back into the labor force in the long run."

All told, there were nearly 442,000 more employed Americans in August compared to July. There were also 344,000 additional Americans collecting unemployment benefits during the month.

One industry not seeing as much growth is leisure and hospitality. The industry added 31,000 jobs following average monthly gains of 90,000 in the first sevens months of the year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted. Employment in leisure and hospitality is below its February 2020 level by 1.2 million, or 7.2 percent, the BLS said.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Many wonder where to turn to make ends meet after the storm severely impacted their weekly paycheck.

Because of the storm, one woman said she hasn't been able to make it for her shifts at the Harborcenter in Downtown Buffalo. She said it's been extremely difficult now living paycheck to paycheck.

"It's hard. It's breaking my heart," Mary Knickerbocker said.

Knickerbocker has not been able to make it into her part-time time job since the storm.

"And I live paycheck to paycheck to pay rent, to pay bills my landlord is not gonna sit there and say, 'Because of the blizzard, you can't pay your rent.' He's gonna say, 'I want my rent money,'" she said.

She is the only one in her home who can work.

"I mean it's putting a lot of stress not only on myself my family and I have no one to turn to," she said.

She tried to get to work on Thursday, but after waiting nearly two hours, she said the bus never came. NFTA spokesperson Kelly Khatib said they are restoring bus service to the fullest extent, but road conditions are creating delays.

"I called my boss, told him I'm not gonna get in and it's like there's no help. You know? I can't get into work," Knickerbocker said.

Her story is like many others in Western New York right now. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was asked during his briefing Thursday if there can be any relief for workers like Knickerbocker.

"I feel sorry for those who've lost wages, lost money they probably needed more than ever at the holiday season," Poloncarz replied.

Unfortunately, he said, the county, state or federal government does not reimburse for private sector and personal loss.

"It is unfortunately an employer, employee issue, and FEMA does reimbursement and we're gonna seek reimbursement for the governments. It is only for a governmental response. It is not for private damages. It is not for private loss," he added.

Dan Neaverth, commissioner of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, said there is not a lot they can do at the moment.

"There's no avenue on that, at this point. We'll push those complaints if they're filed," he said.

He said the Department of Labor can weigh in on this. The department sent back this email:

Mirand also reached out to the Governor's office about this. A spokesperson said in an email:

Still, so many people like Knickerbocker are waiting for the help they so desperately need.

"All we want to know is that there's help out there for us," she said.

This article was written by Kristen Mirand for WKBW.

The Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule Thursday that would ban U.S. employers from imposing noncompete clauses on workers, a sweeping measure that could make it easier for people to switch jobs and deepen competition for labor across a wide range of industries.

RELATED: Noncompete clauses can bring wages down by 20%, Treasury Department report finds

The proposed rule would prevent employers from imposing contract clauses that prohibit their employees from joining a competitor, typically for a period of time, after they leave the company.

Advocates of the new rule argue that noncompete agreements contribute to wage stagnation because one of the most effective ways to secure higher pay is switching companies. They argue that the clauses have become so commonplace that they have swept up even low-wage workers.

Opponents argue that by facilitating retention, noncompete clauses have encouraged companies to promote workers and invest in training, especially in a tight labor market. The public has 60 days to submit commentary on the rule before it takes effect.

During a Cabinet meeting, President Joe Biden called the FTC action "a huge step forward in banning non-compete agreements that are designed simply to lower people's wages."

"These agreements block millions of retail workers, construction workers and other working folks from taking better jobs and getting better pay and benefits in the same field," Biden said.

The FTC has moved aggressively to curb the power of major corporations under Chair Lina Khan, a legal scholar and Washington outsider whose appointment by Biden signaled a tough antitrust stance.

The agency estimates that the new rule could boost wages by nearly $300 billion a year and expand career opportunities for about 30 million Americans.

"Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand," Khan said in a prepared statement.

The FTC's proposal comes amid an already competitive job market, particularly in industries that suffered mass layoffs during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and have since struggled to recall their workers. Many workers remain on the sidelines, holding out for better pay, coping with lingering childcare or health issues, or opting for early retirement.

"There is a potential that it will contribute to the 'great resignation' that everyone is talking about to some degree, but employers are simply losing one of the tools in their toolbox and there are other ways to retain top talent," said Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and director of human resources for Engage PEO, which provides HR services for small- and medium-sized companies. "You will see a lot of business trying to retain top talent via raises or other fringe benefits."

Employers nationwide are still hiring and layoffs are historically low, despite high-profile job cut announcements from companies such as software provider Salesforce, Facebook's parent company Meta, and Amazon. The government is expected to announce Friday that employers added a solid 200,000 jobs last month, and that unemployment remained 3.7%, near a half-century low.

A 2019 analysis by the liberal Economic Policy Institute estimated that 36 million to 60 million workers could be subject to noncompete agreements, which the group said companies have increasingly adopted in recent years.

While such agreements are most common among higher-paid workers, the study found that a significant number of low-wage workers were subjected to them. The study found that more than a quarter of responding establishments where the average wage is less than $13 an hour use noncompetes for all their workers.

On Wednesday, for example, the FTC took action against three companies for unlawfully imposing noncompete clauses against workers, including low-wage security guards who were threatened with a $100,000 fine if they violated the agreement.

The EPI study found that many companies still impose noncompete clauses in several states that already ban or restrict them, including in California, where the practice has been prohibited for a century.

The proposed FTC rule would require companies to scrap existing noncompete causes and actively inform workers that they are no longer in effect, as well as prohibiting the imposition of new ones.

The proposal is based on a preliminary finding that noncompete clauses quash competition in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. It would not generally apply to other types of employment restrictions, like non-disclosure agreements.

But Emily Dickens, chief of staff and head of public affairs for the Society for Human Resource Management, said the proposed FTC rule is overly broad and could potentially harm businesses that depend on them to thrive. She cited very small, emerging industries where crucial know-how cannot be safeguarded through non-disclosure agreements alone.

Dickens said SHRM, a group of more than 300,000 human resources professionals and executives around the world, will encourage its members to present specific situations that could justify noncompete clauses during the FTC's commentary period.

Although "there are jobs where it makes no sense to have noncompete," Dickens said, "this kind of blanket ban is going to stifle innovation."

While defenders of non-compete clauses argue they help start-ups and small business retain talent, opponents say they hinder recruitment at those same entities.

The Economic Innovation Group, a Washington-based public policy research group, applauded the rule and called on Congress to pass proposed legislation that would impose a similar ban with more permanency.

"Restricting the use of non-compete agreements is fundamentally good policy that will boost wages, improve workforce mobility, and encourage entrepreneurship and innovation throughout the economy," said John Lettieri, EIG's president and CEO.

—-

Associated Press writers Chris Rugaber and Nancy Benac in Washington contributed to this report.

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This story was first published on January 5, 2023. It was updated on January 6, 2023 to correct a quote from Vanessa Matsis-McCready of Engage PEO.

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This story was first published on January 5, 2023. It was updated on January 6, 2023 to correct the name of the Society for Human Resource Management. It also clarifies that the study by the Economic Policy Institute was based on a survey of responding companies.

MIAMI, Fla. — When the pandemic hit South Florida, small business owner Leslie Schwimmer was forced to close up shop, leaving behind her massage business and her sense of security.

But more than a year after becoming unemployed, the 58-year-old is back at work and loving the path life has taken her on.

"I really am happy. I love the day-to-day of what I do," Schwimmer said.

When we first met Schwimmer in March of 2021, she was worried that her age was keeping her from finding a new job.

"I try to mask my age during interviews as much as I can," she said at the time.

After being forced into bankruptcy, Schwimmer thought she'd lost everything. But after countless interviews last year, she landed a job selling medical devices for a small company in Florida and is now back on her feet.

"I loved what I did before but I really like this new challenge," she said.

While Schwimmer misses running her own business, she does not miss the stress that came along with it.

"I really enjoy getting a check every two weeks and not worrying about paying everybody else," she added.

As for the two million, or so long-term unemployed Americans out there still looking for a new job, this single mother of two says don’t give up.

"When I look at the jobs I didn’t get, I have to admit I cried over some of them," she said. "Now, I think I’m where I should be."

This is part of a series of stories examining the question, "How are you doing?" where we check in with people from different walks of life to see how they’re handling the pandemic.

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added a modest 199,000 jobs last month while the unemployment rate fell sharply, at a time when businesses are struggling to fill jobs, with many Americans remaining reluctant to return to the workforce.

The Labor Department also said Friday that the nation's unemployment rate fell to a healthy 3.9% from 4.2% in November. Though unemployment continues to fall, the U.S. in December added jobs at a slower rate than it did in November, when the economy added 210,000 jobs.

Speaking at the White House Friday, President Joe Biden said the report marked a "historic day," noting that the unemployment rate fell below 4%. He noted that it marked the sharpest single-year decline in unemployment in U.S. history.

However, the report fell short of analyst projections. CNBC reports that forecasters expected the U.S. had added 422,000 jobs in the month of December.

Though the highly-contagious omicron variant of COVID-19 began spreading the U.S. in December, CNBC spoke to forecasters that said the new strain likely did not have an impact on Friday's report. However, omicron will likely play a major role in January's job report, which will be released early next month.

Friday's report comes just days after a separate report found that more Americans than ever quit their jobs in the month of November. Biden said during his remarks Friday that more Americans are simply transitioning to new opportunities.

"Americans are moving up to better jobs with better pay, with better benefits," Biden said.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is on the rise Friday following the release of the December jobs report.

December 11, 08:56 AM EST UNK 1 WSW EAST GRAND RAPIDS Kent County, MI REPORT FROM MPING: TREES DOWN ROOF DAMAGE. (GRR) December 11, 08:43 AM EST 63 2 S HOLLAND Allegan County, MI ASOS STATION KBIV W MICH REGIONAL ARPT. (GRR) December 11, 07:39 AM CST UNK 1 NE COALMONT Grundy County, TN TREES DOWN NEAR COALMONT IN GRUNDY COUNTY. (OHX) December 11, 06:55 AM CST UNK 5 ESE HARVEST Madison County, AL TREE DOWN ALONG BOB WADE LANE IN HARVEST. (HUN) December 11, 07:54 AM EST UNK 1 W FURNACE Powell County, KY TREE DOWN ON POWER LINE AND BLOCKING FURNACE JUNCTION ROAD. (JKL) December 11, 07:19 AM EST UNK 3 S BIG SOUTH FORK NATI Scott County, TN A FEW TREES DOWN. (MRX) December 11, 06:15 AM CST UNK 4 NW ELKMONT Limestone County, AL TREES REPORTED DOWN IN ELKMONT NEAR THE STATE LINE ALONG HIGHWAY 127. (HUN) December 11, 06:02 AM CST UNK TOWN CREEK Lawrence County, AL TREE DOWN SOUTH OF TOWN CREEK. (HUN) December 11, 05:50 AM CST UNK 4 NW ROGERSVILLE Lauderdale County, AL BATTING CAGE IN FRONT YARD HAD BEEN LOFTED AND CAUSED 200-300 YARD DEBRIS PATH. (HUN) December 11, 05:45 AM CST UNK 5 SSW KILLEN Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN ON LAKEWOOD DR. (HUN) December 11, 05:44 AM CST UNK 3 SW TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN. (HUN) December 11, 05:40 AM CST UNK 1 N TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL POWER POLE BLOWN DOWN OUTSIDE OF EMA OFFICE. (HUN) December 11, 05:40 AM CST UNK 2 S FLORENCE Lauderdale County, AL ROOF PARTIALLY LIFTED ON STRUCTURE IN DOWNTOWN FLORENCE. (HUN) December 11, 05:37 AM CST UNK 7 ESE CHEROKEE Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN. (HUN) December 11, 05:37 AM CST UNK 1 SE SHEFFIELD Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF AVALON AVE. AND COX BLVD. (HUN) December 11, 05:37 AM CST UNK 1 NNW TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF S BLACKWELL RD AND E WHEELER AV. (HUN) December 11, 05:36 AM CST UNK 1 SW TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN. (HUN) December 11, 06:36 AM EST UNK 5 ENE LIMAVILLE Portage County, OH TREE DOWN ON ROAD. (CLE) December 11, 06:35 AM EST UNK BIG SOUTH FORK NATIONAL Scott County, TN FEW TREES DOWN JUST EAST OF THE PARK. (MRX) December 11, 05:34 AM CST UNK 1 SSW TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN ON FRANKFURT RD. (HUN) December 11, 05:34 AM CST UNK SHEFFIELD Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN. (HUN) December 11, 05:33 AM CST 59 2 SSW FLORENCE Lauderdale County, AL EMERGENCY MANAGER MEASURED A 59 MPH WIND GUST IN DOWNTOWN FLORENCE... AL. (HUN) December 11, 06:31 AM EST UNK 2 NW KENT Portage County, OH TREE DOWN NEAR ROAD. (CLE) December 11, 05:30 AM CST UNK TUSCUMBIA Colbert County, AL POWERLINES DOWN IN TUSCUMBIA. (HUN) December 11, 05:30 AM CST UNK 1 NNE SHEFFIELD Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF N NASHVILLE AV AND E 8TH ST IN SHEFFIELD. (HUN) December 11, 05:30 AM CST UNK FLORENCE Lauderdale County, AL TREE DOWN ON HOME ON WOODLAND HILLS DR. (HUN) December 11, 05:30 AM CST UNK 2 SSW UNDERWOOD-PETERSV Lauderdale County, AL HOMES DAMAGED ON AUGUSTA STREET. (HUN) December 11, 05:27 AM CST UNK 1 WSW SHEFFIELD Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF GUNTERSVILLE ST AND WILSON DAM AVE. (HUN) December 11, 05:27 AM CST UNK 2 SSW FLORENCE Lauderdale County, AL TREE DOWN NEAR SAVANNAH HIGHWAY AND BEVERLY RD IN FLORENCE. (HUN) December 11, 05:27 AM CST UNK 1 SSE UNDERWOOD-PETERSV Lauderdale County, AL TREE ON VEHICLE. (HUN) December 11, 05:15 AM CST UNK 2 ESE CHEROKEE Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN ON BARNES LANE. (HUN) December 11, 05:15 AM CST UNK 4 ENE CHEROKEE Colbert County, AL TREE DOWN ON MULBERRY LANE IN CHEROKEE... AL. (HUN) December 11, 05:12 AM CST 75 2 NW PLANO Warren County, KY THE BOWLING GREEN KENTUCKY MESONET MEASURED A WIND GUST OF 75MPH. (LMK) December 11, 05:00 AM CST UNK 2 E MANTACHIE Itawamba County, MS LARGE TREE DOWN ON RIVER RD. NEAR MANTACHIE. (MEG) December 11, 05:00 AM CST UNK LAWRENCEBURG Lawrence County, TN SEVERAL TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS LAWRENCE COUNTY. (OHX) December 11, 04:45 AM CST UNK LIVINGSTON Overton County, TN TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN IN AND AROUND LIVINGSTON AND RICKMAN. (OHX) December 11, 04:31 AM CST UNK 4 NNE MARIETTA Prentiss County, MS TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE NORTHEAST OF MARIETTA. (MEG) December 11, 04:22 AM CST UNK 8 NE RED BOILING SPRING Clay County, TN TREES DOWN NEAR OLD CLEMENTSVILLE ROAD... DAMAGE TO CHICKEN HOUSES. (OHX) December 11, 05:17 AM EST UNK 3 NE RICHMOND Madison County, KY TREES DOWN BLOCKING ROADWAY. (LMK) December 11, 03:48 AM CST 59 SMYRNA AIRPORT Rutherford County, TN SMYRNA AIRPORT AWOS MEASURED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 51 KNOTS / 59 MPH. (OHX) December 11, 03:36 AM CST UNK 2 NNW LA VERGNE Rutherford County, TN TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN INCLUDING A TREE ON A HOUSE ON PEARCY STREET. (OHX) December 11, 03:35 AM CST UNK HENDERSONVILLE Sumner County, TN DUE TO HIGH WINDS... MULTIPLE STREETS WERE BLOCKED BY DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES. (OHX) December 11, 03:30 AM CST UNK NASHVILLE Davidson County, TN TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN ACROSS NASHVILLE AREA. AROUND 80...000 CUSTOMERS LOST POWER. (OHX) December 11, 03:30 AM CST UNK MOUNT JULIET Wilson County, TN NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. SOME STRUCTURE DAMAGE WAS ALSO REPORTED. (OHX) December 11, 04:30 AM EST UNK 1 NW RICHMOND Madison County, KY TREE DAMAGE... TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LMK) December 11, 04:30 AM EST UNK 4 W REDHOUSE Madison County, KY DOWNED POWER LINES AND NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LMK) December 11, 04:30 AM EST UNK 3 W REDHOUSE Madison County, KY DOWNED TREE BLOCKING ROADWAY NEAR EXIT 95 ON I-75. (LMK) December 11, 03:28 AM CST 78 NASHVILLE INTL AIRPORT Davidson County, TN NASHVILLE INTL AIRPORT ASOS MEASURED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 78 MPH. THIS IS THE THIRD HIGHEST WIND GUST EVER MEASURED AT THE AIRPORT. (OHX) December 11, 04:23 AM EST UNK 1 N PEYTONA Shelby County, KY TREES/WIRES DOWN IN THE BAGDAD/WADDY AREA. (LMK) December 11, 03:20 AM CST UNK 3 NNW BRENTWOOD Williamson County, TN NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. (OHX) December 11, 03:20 AM CST UNK 4 NW NASHVILLE Davidson County, TN TREES... POWER LINES... AND SIGNS WERE BLOWN DOWN ALONG CLARKSVILLE PIKE. (OHX) December 11, 03:15 AM CST UNK 7 NW BELLE MEADE Davidson County, TN TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN AND STRUCTURE DAMAGE WAS REPORTED ALONG OLD HICKORY BLVD AND TIDWELL HOLLOW RD. (OHX) December 11, 03:05 AM CST UNK 5 NNE PEGRAM Cheatham County, TN MULTIPLE TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN ON CARS ON INDIAN SPRINGS RD AND POND CREEK ROAD. (OHX) December 11, 03:00 AM CST UNK KINGSTON SPRINGS Cheatham County, TN SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE DAMAGE WAS REPORTED TO HOMES AND BUSINESSES. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN... BLOCKING ROADS THROUGHOUT KINGSTON SPRINGS. (OHX) December 11, 02:45 AM CST UNK 3 S DICKSON Dickson County, TN AT LEAST 12 STRUCTURES ON MURRELL RAD AND CROSSROAD COWARN ROAD HAD HEAVY DAMAGE. SOME PEOPLE WERE TRAPPED IN THE STRUCTURES. (OHX) December 11, 03:35 AM EST UNK 2 SSE FLAHERTY Hardin County, KY A FEW TREES AND POLES DOWN ON SALT RIVER RD. (LMK) December 11, 03:34 AM EST 59 3 ESE FAIRLAND Shelby County, IN ASOS STATION KGEZ SHELBYVILLE. (IND) December 11, 02:32 AM CST UNK 2 SW CAVE CITY Barren County, KY DOWNED TREES AND LINES BLOCKING ROAD ON HERBERT TURNER ROAD JUST OFF 31W. (LMK) December 11, 03:22 AM EST UNK 2 NNW HOBSON Taylor County, KY EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORT OF COLLAPSED STRUCTURE WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED ON FEATHER CREEK RD NORTH OF CAMPBELLSVILLE IN NORTHERN TAYLOR COUNTY. (LMK) December 11, 02:20 AM CST UNK LOBELVILLE Perry County, TN TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES. POWER OUTAGES REPORTED THROUGHOUT PERRY COUNTY. (OHX) December 11, 02:15 AM CST UNK 6 N LOBELVILLE Humphreys County, TN NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN... BLOCKING THE ROAD. (OHX) December 11, 02:10 AM CST 60 PARSONS Decatur County, TN (MEG) December 11, 03:06 AM EST UNK 2 S ADA Hardin County, OH ROOF BLOWN OFF AND HALF A BUILDING COLLAPSED. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (ILN) December 11, 02:05 AM CST 74 CANMER Hart County, KY THE MUNFORDVILLE KENTUCKY MESONET STATION REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 74MPH. (LMK) December 11, 02:57 AM EST UNK 1 N BALL STATE UNIVERSI Delaware County, IN REPORT FROM MPING: 1-INCH TREE LIMBS BROKEN SHINGLES BLOWN OFF. (IND) December 11, 02:53 AM EST 59 3 WSW WHITEHALL Monroe County, IN ASOS STATION KBMG BLOOMINGTON. (IND) December 11, 02:53 AM EST 59 3 NNE BALL STATE UNIVER Delaware County, IN ASOS STATION KMIE MUNCIE. (IND) December 11, 01:45 AM CST UNK 3 W LEXINGTON Henderson County, TN WIDESPREAD DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWERLINES ALONG HIGHWAY 412 JUST WEST OF LEXINGTON. (MEG) December 11, 01:45 AM CST UNK 4 N LEXINGTON Henderson County, TN SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO HOMES AND MOBILE HOMES NEAR THE TIMBERLAKE INDUSTRIAL PARK. TREES WERE UPROOTED. (MEG) December 11, 02:36 AM EST 61 6 NW FORTVILLE Hamilton County, IN NOBLESVILLE NEAR THE MUSIC CENTER RELAYED VIA TWITTER. (IND) December 11, 02:34 AM EST 76 GALLUP Henry County, OH (IWX) December 11, 02:22 AM EST 65 4 SSE ZIONSVILLE Marion County, IN AT 79TH AND GEORGETOWN. (IND) December 11, 01:20 AM CST 75 2 NW PLANO Warren County, KY CORRECTS PREVIOUS TSTM WND GST REPORT FROM 2 NW PLANO. THE BOWLING GREEN KENTUCKY MESONET MEASURED A WIND GUST OF 75MPH. (LMK) December 11, 01:15 AM CST UNK BOWLING GREEN Warren County, KY MULTIPLE REPORTS OF DAMAGED OR COLLAPSED STRUCTURES DUE TO TORNADO. PEOPLE TRAPPED. DAMAGE TO THE CORVETTE PLANT WITH FIRE ON ITS ROOF. (LMK) December 11, 01:15 AM CST UNK 3 SE SOUTHEAST MEMPHIS Shelby County, TN UTILITY POLE DOWN ON CASTLE HEIGHTS DR. (MEG) December 11, 01:01 AM CST UNK 9 NE RUSSELLVILLE Logan County, KY TREES DOWN... POWER OUTAGES... STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS AND MOBILE HOMES. REPORT NUMBER 2 FROM THE AREA WITH SAME DAMAGE. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LMK) December 11, 01:01 AM CST UNK 10 NE RUSSELLVILLE Logan County, KY TREES DOWN... POWER OUTAGES... STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS AND MOBILE HOMES. (LMK) December 11, 01:00 AM CST UNK 2 SE MIDTOWN MEMPHIS Shelby County, TN TREE DOWN ON CAR ON GREER ST IN ORANGE MOUND. (MEG) December 11, 01:50 AM EST UNK 2 NNW HIGHGROVE Spencer County, KY SOCIAL MEDIA PICTURES SHOWS STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO TWO DIFFERENT BUILDINGS... TREES BLOWN ACROSS OLD LOUISVILLE ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LMK) December 11, 01:50 AM EST UNK 2 WNW NEW WHITELAND Johnson County, IN ELECTRIC POLES AND SOME TREES DOWN IN THE COUNTY. TRANSFORMER FIRE IN SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. (IND) December 11, 01:36 AM EST 60 HARTFORD CITY Blackford County, IN TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (IWX) December 11, 01:30 AM EST UNK 4 WSW MOUNT WASHINGTON Bullitt County, KY MANY TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN FROM SHEPHERDSVILLE TO MT. WASHINGTON. (LMK) December 11, 01:30 AM EST UNK 1 SSE SUMMITVILLE Madison County, IN SEVERAL TREES AND SOME POWER POLES DOWN ACROSS MAINLY NORTHERN MADISON COUNTY. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 11, 12:24 AM CST 61 6 NW CLARKSVILLE Montgomery County, TN CLARKSVILLE OUTLAW FIELD ASOS MEASURED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 53 KNOTS / 61 MPH. (OHX) December 11, 12:15 AM CST UNK 1 WSW LAFAYETTE Christian County, KY POSSIBLE TORNADO JUST SOUTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE. (PAH) December 11, 01:15 AM EST UNK 1 E FRANKFORT Clinton County, IN REPORT FROM MPING: 3-INCH TREE LIMBS BROKEN POWER POLES BROKEN. (IND) December 11, 01:15 AM EST UNK 5 N ELWOOD Madison County, IN SEVERAL TREES DOWN AROUND NORTHERN PARTS OF COUNTY... POWER POLES DOWN AS WELL. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 11, 12:14 AM CST UNK 5 N DOVER Stewart County, TN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS HAS RECEIVED REPORTS OF DAMAGE AND INJURIES ON LINK ROAD AND WALKER RIDGE. 700 POWER OUTAGES WERE REPORTED ACROSS NORTHERN STEWART COUNTY. (OHX) December 11, 01:12 AM EST UNK EKRON Meade County, KY REPORTS OF MANY POWER LINES DOWN... TREES DOWN... AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO CENTRAL - SOUTHEAST MEADE COUNTY. (LMK) December 11, 12:05 AM CST UNK 9 NNE DOVER Stewart County, TN *** 1 INJ *** MULTIPLE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN. MULTIPLE STRUCTURES DAMAGED CONCENTRATED IN THE 2300 BLOCK OF HIGHWAY 120 IN BIG ROCK. 1 MINOR INJURY REPORTED. (OHX) December 11, 12:05 AM CST UNK 2 SE MIDTOWN MEMPHIS Shelby County, TN TREE DOWN ON HOME ON SPOTTSWOOD AVE (MEG) December 11, 01:01 AM EST UNK 1 E LADOGA Montgomery County, IN LARGE BRACHES AND TREES DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 11, 12:00 AM CST UNK 9 NE DOVER Stewart County, TN *** 1 INJ *** MULTIPLE TREES AND POWERLINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. LOCAL RESPONDERS REPORTED MULTIPLE STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED MAINLY IN THE 2300 BLOCK OF HIGHWAY 120 IN BIG R (OHX) December 10, 11:49 PM CST UNK 2 SE BEDA Ohio County, KY DISPATCH REPORTS LOTS OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO AREAS NORTH OF HARTFORD... KY. (LMK) December 10, 11:48 PM CST UNK 3 WNW JEFFERSON Marion County, TX POWERLINE DOWN ON A TREE CAUSING THE TREE TO CATCH ON FIRE. (SHV) December 10, 11:48 PM CST 64 3 SSW DE SOTO Jackson County, IL MEASURED BY CARBONDALE AIRPORT ASOS. (PAH) December 10, 11:45 PM CST UNK 1 W HARDINSBURG Breckinridge County, KY REPORTS OF TREE DOWN ON 992. (LMK) December 10, 11:38 PM CST UNK 2 E ROSSTON Nevada County, AR SMALL TREES DOWN ALONG HWY 278 TOWARD THE OUACHITA COUNTY BORDER. (SHV) December 10, 11:35 PM CST 62 EDGAR COUNTY AIRPORT Edgar County, IL AWOS STATION KPRG EDGAR COUNTY AP. (ILX) December 10, 11:32 PM CST UNK CLOVERPORT Breckinridge County, KY REPORT OF LARGE TREE DOWN IN CLOVERPORT ON 105. (LMK) December 10, 11:31 PM CST UNK COFFEEN Montgomery County, IL REPORT OF TREES DOWN AND A DAMAGED MACHINE SHED. (LSX) December 10, 11:31 PM CST UNK 2 WNW TREMONT Tazewell County, IL THE DOME WAS BLOWN OFF THE SALT STORAGE BUILDING AT THE TAZEWELL COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT. (ILX) December 11, 12:25 AM EST UNK 4 ENE NEW MARKET Montgomery County, IN POWER LINES DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 11, 12:18 AM EST 68 GOLDEN HILL White County, IN (IWX) December 10, 11:08 PM CST UNK DRESDEN Weakley County, TN *** 1 INJ *** TORNADO WITH AT LEAST 1 PERSON INJURED IN DRESDEN WITH 6 BUILDINGS DAMAGED. (MEG) December 10, 11:06 PM CST UNK BEECHER CITY Effingham County, IL POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. (ILX) December 11, 12:06 AM EST UNK 4 SW SPENCER Owen County, IN AT LEAST 4 TREES DOWN PROMPTED IN67 CLOSED BETWEEN CARP AND FREEDOM. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 11, 12:06 AM EST UNK 1 ENE GRAND JUNCTION Van Buren County, MI DELAYED REPORT FROM MPING: 3-INCH TREE LIMBS BROKEN POWER POLES BROKEN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (GRR) December 11, 12:05 AM EST UNK 1 ENE ARLINGTON Rush County, IN REPORTS OF TREES DOWN AROUND THE COUNTY. REPORTS BEGAN TO COME IN TO DISPATCH AFTER MORRISTOWN LOST POWER AROUND MIDNIGHT. (IND) December 10, 10:57 PM CST UNK 3 NNE MORTONS GAP Hopkins County, KY SEMI AND CARS FLIPPED OFF INTERSTATE 69 NEAR EARLINGTON. (PAH) December 10, 10:56 PM CST 60 2 ENE REMINGTON Jasper County, IN MESONET STATION IN048 1.7 E REMINGTON (INDOT). (LOT) December 10, 10:55 PM CST 100 4 N DYER Gibson County, TN QUARTER SIZED HAIL NEAR DYER... TENNESSEE... WITH ABOUT 30-40 MPH WINDS. (MEG) December 10, 11:55 PM EST UNK KINGMAN Fountain County, IN GRAIN BINS BLOW OVER TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (IND) December 10, 10:53 PM CST 59 LAWRENCEVILLE AIRPORT Lawrence County, IL ASOS STATION KLWV LAWRENCEVILLE AP. (ILX) December 10, 10:52 PM CST UNK 1 NNW MORTONS GAP Hopkins County, KY POSSIBLE RAIN WRAPPED TORNADO BETWEEN MORTONS GAP AND EARLINGTON. (PAH) December 10, 10:52 PM CST UNK 2 NNW MORTONS GAP Hopkins County, KY TRAIN CARS KNOCKED OFF TRACK NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF BARNSLEY. (PAH) December 10, 10:51 PM CST 59 1 SE COLES COUNTY AIRPO Coles County, IL ASOS STATION KMTO COLES COUNTY MEM AP. (ILX) December 10, 10:47 PM CST UNK KENTON Gibson County, TN REPORT OF MULTIPLE POWER LINES DOWN... TREES DOWN... AND IMPASSABLE ROADS. (MEG) December 10, 10:45 PM CST 100 3 NNE NASH Bowie County, TX CORRECTS PREVIOUS HAIL REPORT FROM 3 NNE NASH. LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS REGARDING QUARTER+ SIZED HAIL ACROSS THE NW PORTION OF TEXARKANA. (SHV) December 10, 10:40 PM CST UNK DAWSON SPRINGS Hopkins County, KY MAJOR DAMAGE WITH BUILDINGS LEVELED... MULTIPLE INJURIES. (PAH) December 10, 10:38 PM CST UNK FILLMORE Montgomery County, IL REPORT OF POWERLINES DOWN. (LSX) December 10, 10:38 PM CST UNK NOKOMIS Montgomery County, IL REPORT OF A TREE DOWN. (LSX) December 10, 10:38 PM CST UNK WHEATFIELD Jasper County, IN COUPLE LARGE TREES DOWNED IN THE AREA... AS WELL AS SEVERAL DOWNED MEDIUM TO LARGE TREES SCATTERED ABOUT THE COUNTY. (LOT) December 10, 10:37 PM CST UNK 4 ENE NEWBERN Dyer County, TN TORNADIC DEBRIS SIGNATURE NOTED NORTHEAST OF NEWBERN. (MEG) December 10, 10:35 PM CST UNK 2 NW RENO Bond County, IL TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN. (LSX) December 10, 10:35 PM CST UNK TAYLOR SPRINGS Montgomery County, IL REPORTS OF DENSE STYROFOAM MATERIAL SCATTERED ACROSS TAYLOR SPRINGS AS WELL AS NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES. (LSX) December 10, 10:35 PM CST 69 2 WNW RENSSELAER Jasper County, IN AWOS STATION KRZL RENSSELAER AIRPORT. (LOT) December 10, 10:29 PM CST 65 4 W RENSSELAER Jasper County, IN MESONET STATION IN005 2.7 W COLLEGEVILLE (INDOT). (LOT) December 10, 10:23 PM CST UNK 1 SSW OGDEN DUNES Porter County, IN TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN NEAR STAGE COACH ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LOT) December 10, 10:22 PM CST 59 LAWRENCEVILLE AIRPORT Lawrence County, IL CORRECTS TIME ON PREVIOUS TSTM WND GST REPORT FROM LAWRENCEVILLE AIRPORT. ASOS STATION KLWV LAWRENCEVILLE AP. (ILX) December 10, 10:17 PM CST 72 DEMOTTE Jasper County, IN (LOT) December 10, 10:16 PM CST 65 SIDNEY Champaign County, IL (ILX) December 10, 10:05 PM CST UNK 5 SE REDFORD Reynolds County, MO REYNOLDS COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED AT LEAST 2 MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED ON CR 428... A PERMANENT HOME WITH ITS ROOF LOST ON CR 442... POWER LINES DOWN ALONG CRS 440... 428. (LSX) December 10, 10:04 PM CST UNK 3 NW MATTOON Coles County, IL A HOUSE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED INSIDE. (ILX) December 10, 10:02 PM CST UNK 3 SE COLES Coles County, IL A MACHINE SHED WAS DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN NEAR 800 NORTH AND 200 EAST. (ILX) December 10, 10:00 PM CST UNK 3 WNW MATTOON Coles County, IL A SEMI WAS BLOWN OVER NEAR THE RURAL KING DISTRIBUTION CENTER. (ILX) December 10, 10:00 PM CST UNK 2 W CROWN POINT Lake County, IN MULTIPLE POWER POLES AND TREES DOWN ALONG FATHKE ROAD IN CROWN POINT. POSSIBLE TORNADO BASED ON SUBTLE TORNADO DEBRIS SIGNATURE ON RADAR. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (LOT) December 10, 09:53 PM CST UNK 2 WSW GAYS Moultrie County, IL FS PLANT WAS DESTROYED ALONG RT 16 WEST OF GAYS. (ILX) December 10, 09:52 PM CST UNK 2 W GAYS Moultrie County, IL TREES DOWN AND POWER POLES BENT ALONG RT 16 JUST NORTHEAST OF WINDSOR. SILOS BLOWN DOWN AND HOUSES DAMAGED BETWEEN WINDSOR AND GAYS. (ILX) December 10, 09:50 PM CST UNK 1 ENE WINDSOR Shelby County, IL TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN AND POWER POLES WERE BENT ALONG RT 16 JUST NORTHEAST OF WINDSOR. (ILX) December 10, 09:48 PM CST UNK DONOVAN Iroquois County, IL COUPLE LARGE TREES DOWNED ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN. (LOT) December 10, 09:45 PM CST 100 3 NNE NASH Bowie County, TX LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS CALLS REGARDING QUARTER+ SIZED HAIL ACROSS THE NW PORTION OF TEXARKANA. (SHV) December 10, 09:45 PM CST UNK 2 WNW BENTON Marshall County, KY A MOBILE HOME ON JACKSON SCHOOL ROAD WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. A NEARBY GARAGE WAS SWEPT OFF ITS FOUNDATION. POSSIBLE TORNADO. (PAH) December 10, 09:35 PM CST 100 1 NE PRESCOTT Nevada County, AR CORRECTS PREVIOUS HAIL REPORT CORRECTION FROM 1 NE PRESCOTT. LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS MULTIPLE CALLS REGARDING QUARTER SIZED HAIL AROUND THE CITY OF PRESCOTT. (SHV) December 10, 09:34 PM CST UNK CHEBANSE Kankakee County, IL TWO SEMIS BLOWN ON TO THEIR SIDES ON I-57 NEAR MILE MARKER 302. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR. (LOT) December 10, 09:30 PM CST UNK 3 WNW ROBERTSVILLE Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE OVER THE ROADWAY AT STATE HWY O AND ROUTE MM. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:30 PM CST UNK GIBSON CITY Ford County, IL ROOF PARTIALLY BLOWN OFF A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING AND A COUPLE TREES DOWNED. (LOT) December 10, 09:28 PM CST UNK SAINT CLAIR Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNT DISPATCH REPORTED POWER LINES DOWN AT 75 SOUTH MAIN STREET IN ST. CLAIR. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:27 PM CST UNK MAYFIELD Graves County, KY MAJOR DAMAGE REPORTED IN MAYFIELD. NO FURTHER DETAILS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. (PAH) December 10, 09:27 PM CST UNK 1 S MINOOKA Grundy County, IL LARGE TREE DOWNED. TIME ESTIMATED. (LOT) December 10, 09:24 PM CST 107 4 NNE WINGO Graves County, KY MESONET STATION PRYB MAYFIELD KY 6 SW. (PAH) December 10, 09:15 PM CST UNK TRUMANN Poinsett County, AR MULTIPLE BUILDINGS DAMAGED IN TRUMANN. (MEG) December 10, 09:15 PM CST 58 3 WNW SCOTT CITY Scott County, MO ASOS STATION KCGI CAPE GIRARDEAU MO. (PAH) December 10, 09:15 PM CST 58 3 NNE PONTIAC Livingston County, IL AWOS STATION KPNT PONTIAC AIRPORT. (LOT) December 10, 09:13 PM CST UNK 2 SSW UNION Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREES DOWN ACROSS NORTH BEND LOOP SW OF UNION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:10 PM CST UNK PARIS Logan County, AR STORM SPOTTER ESTIMATED 60 MPH WINDS AND NOTED POWER OUTAGES IN THE CITY. (LZK) December 10, 09:09 PM CST UNK GERALD Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED PHONE LINES DOWN IN GERALD ACROSS WEST 6TH STREET. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:09 PM CST UNK 5 SW UNION Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREES AND POWER LINES WERE DOWN ALONG CAMP MO-VAL ROAD WSW OF UNION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:08 PM CST UNK 1 ESE COFFEEN Montgomery County, IL MONTGOMERY COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREE LIMBS IMPEDING TRAFFIC ALONG ILLINOIS ROUTE 185 NEAR ROCKY FORD ROAD AND ALONG HAPPY LANE AND MERRY LANE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM R (LSX) December 10, 09:06 PM CST UNK 1 ESE COFFEEN Montgomery County, IL BOND COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREE ON HWY 185 JUST SOUTH OF COFFEEN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:05 PM CST UNK 3 SSW COFFEEN Montgomery County, IL TDS EVIDENT FROM KLSX. (LSX) December 10, 09:05 PM CST 60 CAULKSVILLE Logan County, AR (LZK) December 10, 09:05 PM CST UNK 4 S COFFEEN Montgomery County, IL BOND COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON MOUNT MORIAH AVENUE JUST WEST OF RED BALL TRAIL. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 09:03 PM CST 58 2 NE OZARK Franklin County, AR FIRE CHIEF REPORTS WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 58MPH. (TSA) December 10, 09:01 PM CST UNK CAYCE Fulton County, KY DAMAGE REPORTED IN CAYCE TO A CAFE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. (PAH) December 10, 08:58 PM CST 150 WILLOW SPRINGS Howell County, MO (SGF) December 10, 08:55 PM CST 175 4 S HICKMAN Fulton County, KY (PAH) December 10, 08:52 PM CST 60 1 NNW CAPITAL AIRPORT Sangamon County, IL ASOS STATION KSPI SPRINGFIELD CAPITAL AP. (ILX) December 10, 08:50 PM CST UNK 3 NNE LATHAM Logan County, IL POWER POLES WERE SNAPPED ALONG 600 STREET JUST WEST OF 2400 AVENUE. (ILX) December 10, 08:48 PM CST 100 ARKADELPHIA Clark County, AR (LZK) December 10, 08:45 PM CST UNK CENTRAL CITY Muhlenberg County, KY DAMAGE TO HARDWARE STORE ON WEST EVERLY BROS. BLVD. (PAH) December 10, 08:45 PM CST 125 BLEVINS Hempstead County, AR PUBLIC REPORT OF SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN QUARTER SIZE HAIL FROM A CONVENIENCE STORE IN BLEVINS. (SHV) December 10, 08:40 PM CST UNK 6 SW BONO Craighead County, AR NUMEROUS LIMBS DOWN IN THE BONO AREA. UTILITY POLES SNAPPED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TOWN. POSSIBLE TORNADO. (MEG) December 10, 08:40 PM CST UNK 4 W STAUNTON Macoupin County, IL MACOUPIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED POWER LINES DOWN ON SCHOOL HOUSE ROAD EAST OF DORCHESTER ROAD WEST OF STAUNTON. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 08:39 PM CST UNK 1 SW CENTRAL CITY Muhlenberg County, KY DEBRIS FROM HOMES AND BILLBOARDS ALONG THE WEST KENTUCKY PARKWAY JUST WEST OF CENTRAL CITY. (PAH) December 10, 08:38 PM CST UNK SAMBURG Obion County, TN SAMBURG FIRE STATION TOOK DIRECT HIT WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED IN DAMAGE. (MEG) December 10, 08:38 PM CST UNK 2 WSW CENTRAL CITY Muhlenberg County, KY POWER FLASHES JUST NORTH OF THE WEST KENTUCKY PARKWAY JUST WEST OF CENTRAL CITY. POWER IS OUT. (PAH) December 10, 08:38 PM CST 65 GOODFIELD Woodford County, IL POWER OUTAGES HAVE OCCURRED. (ILX) December 10, 08:36 PM CST UNK 1 NW BUFFALO Sangamon County, IL SEVERAL POWER POLES BLOWN DOWN IN THE SAME DIRECTION. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. (ILX) December 10, 08:35 PM CST 100 1 NE PRESCOTT Nevada County, AR LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS MULTIPLE CALLS REGARDING QUARTER SIZED HAIL AROUND THE CITY OF PRESCOTT. (SHV) December 10, 08:33 PM CST UNK 1 S BUNKER HILL Macoupin County, IL MACOUPIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREE DOWN ON HWY 159. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 08:33 PM CST 60 1 NNW CAPITAL AIRPORT Sangamon County, IL CORRECTS TIME ON PREVIOUS TSTM WND GST REPORT FROM 1 NNW CAPITAL AIRPORT. ASOS STATION KSPI SPRINGFIELD CAPITAL AP. (ILX) December 10, 08:32 PM CST UNK 3 NNW PRESCOTT Nevada County, AR LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTING TREES DOWN JUST OUTSIDE THE PRESCOTT CITY LIMITS ALONG HIGHWAY 19 NORTH. (SHV) December 10, 08:30 PM CST UNK 1 W CASH Craighead County, AR BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR CASH. (MEG) December 10, 08:30 PM CST 100 9 SE CABOT Lonoke County, AR (LZK) December 10, 08:30 PM CST 100 CABOT Lonoke County, AR (LZK) December 10, 08:29 PM CST UNK 2 ESE MITCHELL Madison County, IL TRACTOR-TRAILER OVERTURNED ON I-270 WB NEAR MILEPOST 7 WITH CABLES ACROSS THE ROADWAY. (LSX) December 10, 08:27 PM CST UNK 2 S POAG Madison County, IL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A PARTIAL ROOF COLLAPSE AT AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE SOUTHWEST OF EDWARDSVILLE. MULTIPLE PEOPLE ARE TRAPPED AT THIS TIME. (LSX) December 10, 08:25 PM CST UNK CHATHAM Sangamon County, IL POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN NEAR RT 4 AND COTTONWOOD DRIVE SOUTH OF THE WALGREENS. (ILX) December 10, 08:25 PM CST 72 2 NW TREMONT Tazewell County, IL MEASURED AT THE TAZEWELL COUNTY EOC. (ILX) December 10, 08:24 PM CST 64 1 ESE LITTLE ROCK AFB Pulaski County, AR LITTLE ROCK AFB MEASURED 64 MPH WIND GUST. (LZK) December 10, 08:20 PM CST UNK 3 SSW WELDON SPRING St. Louis County, MO FENCE BLOWN DOWN NEAR CHESTERFIELD MALL. (LSX) December 10, 08:19 PM CST UNK 2 N GREEN VALLEY Tazewell County, IL A FARM IRRIGATION UNIT WAS FLIPPED INTO A DITCH ON GOEKEN ROAD JUST EAST OF RT 29. (ILX) December 10, 08:16 PM CST UNK 4 NW GREEN VALLEY Tazewell County, IL SIDING WAS DAMAGED ON A HOUSE AND NUMEROUS POWER POLES WERE BLOWN DOWN ALONG WEIR ROAD BETWEEN JACOB AND WAGONSELLER ROAD. (ILX) December 10, 08:10 PM CST 125 WARD Lonoke County, AR (LZK) December 10, 08:09 PM CST UNK JERSEYVILLE Jersey County, IL JERSEY COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A METAL SIGN AND TREE LIMB DOWN ACROSS THE ROAD AT STATE HWY 16 IN JERSEYVILLE. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 08:06 PM CST UNK DIAZ Jackson County, AR DAMAGE TO SOME ROOFS AT WHITE RIVER APARTMENTS IN DIAZ. (LZK) December 10, 08:05 PM CST UNK 2 SE DEERING Pemiscot County, MO LARGE TORNADO REPORTED ON THE GROUND SOUTHEAST OF DEERING. (MEG) December 10, 08:05 PM CST UNK 6 W ASHDOWN Little River County, AR TREES REPORTED DOWN BETWEEN FOREMAN AND ASHDOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 32. (SHV) December 10, 08:04 PM CST UNK 1 NW CREVE COEUR St. Louis County, MO LARGE TREE UPROOTED... FELL ON TO APARTMENT BUILDING. (LSX) December 10, 08:02 PM CST UNK 5 NE WELLSVILLE Montgomery County, MO TDS EVIDENT FROM KLSX. (LSX) December 10, 08:02 PM CST 68 3 E KAMPVILLE St. Charles County, MO ST. CHARLES...MO (SET) ASOS REPORTS GUST OF 59.0 KNOTS FROM W @ 0202Z KSET 110205Z AUTO 28026G59KT 3/4SM +TSRA BR BKN029 BKN070 OVC090 17/15 A2945 RMK AO2 PK WND 28059/ (LSX) December 10, 08:00 PM CST 100 1 NE GIBSON Pulaski County, AR (LZK) December 10, 08:00 PM CST 100 1 E BALLWIN St. Louis County, MO QUARTER SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN BALLWIN. (LSX) December 10, 08:00 PM CST UNK 1 W GREENFIELD Greene County, IL GREENE COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN AT SHEFFIELD STREET AND BROOKLEY STREET IN GREENFIELD. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:56 PM CST 70 4 W CHESTERFIELD St. Louis County, MO ST. LOUIS/SPIRIT...MO (SUS) ASOS REPORTS GUST OF 61.0 KNOTS FROM SW @ 0156Z KSUS 110156Z 22028G61KT 1/2SM R08R/2800VP6000FT +RA FG SQ SCT026 BKN070 OVC100 17/16 A2947 R (LSX) December 10, 07:54 PM CST UNK 3 NW PHILADELPHIA Cass County, IL AT LEAST ONE HOME WAS DAMAGED...WITH MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO SURROUNDING BUILDINGS. (ILX) December 10, 07:53 PM CST UNK 1 ESE GRAY SUMMIT Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE OVER HOGAN ROAD IN PACIFIC. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:50 PM CST UNK 2 SSW WELDON SPRING St. Louis County, MO REPORT OF APPROXIMATELY 20 VEHICLES WITH DEBRIS DAMAGE ON EASTBOUND 64 EAST OF BOONE BRIDGE. (LSX) December 10, 07:50 PM CST UNK 3 NNW LITERBERRY Cass County, IL TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. (ILX) December 10, 07:49 PM CST 58 HIGHLANDVILLE Christian County, MO DIME SIZE HAIL WAS ALSO REPORTED. (SGF) December 10, 07:47 PM CST UNK 2 NW PACIFIC Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON THORNTON ROAD AT SKYLINE DRIVE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:45 PM CST UNK 1 NNE DEFIANCE St. Charles County, MO *** 1 FATAL... 2 INJ *** SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE DAMAGE IN DEFIANCE. ONE CONFIRMED FATALITY AND 2 INJURIES. (LSX) December 10, 07:45 PM CST UNK CARROLLTON Greene County, IL A COUCH WAS BLOWN ONTO HWY 67 AT CHURCH ST. IN CARROLLTON. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:44 PM CST UNK 3 NNW MOSELLE Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED POWER LINES DOWN AT DENMARK ROAD AT FAIRWAY DRIVE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:43 PM CST UNK 1 WNW BERDAN Greene County, IL GREEN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A HAY WAGON WAS BLOWN ONTO HWY 67 BETWEEN WHITE HALL AND CARROLLTON. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:42 PM CST UNK 2 SSW HORNERSVILLE Dunklin County, MO TORNADO REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. (MEG) December 10, 07:42 PM CST UNK 1 S HORNERSVILLE Dunklin County, MO NUMEROUS DAMAGE ON COUNTY ROAD 655. (MEG) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK 2 W DEFIANCE St. Charles County, MO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO HOME AT HIGHWAY F AND STUB ROAD. (LSX) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK 4 ENE PANOLA Latimer County, OK ROOF DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOME. TIME ESTIMATED VIA RADAR. (TSA) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK 1 NNW WEST BRANSON Stone County, MO FOUR HOMES DAMAGED TO THE NORTHWEST OF WEST BRANSON. (SGF) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK 1 NW DEFIANCE St. Charles County, MO BUILDING COLLAPSE AS WELL AS REPORTS OF MULTIPLE HOMES DAMAGED AND DEBRIS IN THE AREA. (LSX) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK WINFIELD Lincoln County, MO LINCOLN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED STREET LIGHTS WERE BLOWN OVER AT 2 LOCATIONS IN WINFIELD. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:40 PM CST UNK WINFIELD Lincoln County, MO MULTIPLE STREET LIGHTS BLOWN OUT ACROSS THE CITY. (LSX) December 10, 07:38 PM CST UNK 3 N SAINT CLAIR Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON HWY 47 AT EASTVIEW DRIVE SOUTH OF UNION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:38 PM CST UNK 1 SW UNION Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED POWER LINES DOWN AT KOELLING AVENUE AND WEST SPRINGFIELD AVENUE IN SW UNION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:36 PM CST UNK 4 NNE STANTON Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A LARGE TREE BLOCKING THE ROADWAY ALONG ST. LOUIS INN ROAD WSW OF ST. CLAIR. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:32 PM CST UNK 2 N LEACHVILLE Mississippi County, AR TORNADO REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. (MEG) December 10, 07:30 PM CST UNK MEREDOSIA Morgan County, IL SEVERAL LARGE TREE BRANCHES WERE BLOWN DOWN. ESTIMATED WIND GUSTS OF 65-75 MPH. (ILX) December 10, 07:29 PM CST 100 1 W MARTHASVILLE Warren County, MO QUARTER SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN THE CITY OF MARTHASVILLE. (LSX) December 10, 07:25 PM CST 100 MOUNTAIN PINE Garland County, AR (LZK) December 10, 07:24 PM CST UNK NW MONETTE Craighead County, AR TORNADO REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. (MEG) December 10, 07:22 PM CST UNK 4 SW NOSER MILL Franklin County, MO LARGE TREE DOWN AT EVERGREEN LOOP AND 3 OAKS ROAD... SOUTH OF LESLIE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:22 PM CST UNK 1 N GERALD Franklin County, MO FRANKLIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE ACROSS HIGHWAY Y NORTH OF GERALD AT WHEELER ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 07:20 PM CST 100 WINTHROP Little River County, AR QUARTER SIZE AND SLIGHTLY LARGER REPORTED NEAR AND SOUTH OF WINTHROP. (SHV) December 10, 07:12 PM CST 100 5 W FOREMAN Little River County, AR QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED JUST EAST OF THE OK LINE AND WEST OF FOREMAN. (SHV) December 10, 07:12 PM CST UNK GRIGGSVILLE Pike County, IL TRANSFORMER BLOWN AND POWER LINES DOWN IN THE CITY OF GRIGGSVILLE. (LSX) December 10, 07:11 PM CST UNK 2 N PERRY Pike County, IL PIKE COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED 3-4 TREES DOWN AT THIS INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAYS 104 AND 107... KNOWN AS PERRY JUNCTION. ILLINOIS DOT WAS CALLED OUT FOR REMOVAL. TIME ESTI (LSX) December 10, 07:08 PM CST UNK 4 NNW BAY Craighead County, AR TORNADO REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. (MEG) December 10, 07:06 PM CST UNK 1 SW MIDDLETOWN Montgomery County, MO UNKNOWN STRUCTURAL DAMAGE NEAR MIDDLETOWN RELAYED TO OUR OFFICE WITH PUBLIC REPORTS OF A FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR HIGHWAY 161 AND ROUTE A. (LSX) December 10, 07:02 PM CST UNK 5 NE WELLSVILLE Montgomery County, MO CORRECTS PREVIOUS TORNADO REPORT FROM 5 NE WELLSVILLE. TDS EVIDENT FROM KLSX. (LSX) December 10, 07:02 PM CST 58 2 NW VICHY Maries County, MO MEASURED AT THE KVIH ASOS. (SGF) December 10, 06:59 PM CST 175 EVERTON Dade County, MO (SGF) December 10, 06:58 PM CST UNK 6 W BLAND Osage County, MO STRONG WINDS HAVE BROUGHT DOWN TREE BRANCHES. (LSX) December 10, 06:57 PM CST UNK EL DARA Pike County, IL PIKE COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED SEVERAL TREES DOWN ALONG COUNTY HIGHWAY 4 NEAR EL DARA. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:53 PM CST UNK 2 W GASCONADE Gasconade County, MO GASCONADE COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED TREES DOWN ALONG HWY 100 BETWEEN MORRISON AND GASCONADE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:42 PM CST UNK 1 W ASHBURN Pike County, MO PIKE COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED 4 TREES BLOCKING MISSOURI HIGHWAY 79 NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH ROUTE TT. TIME ESTIMATED VIA RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:37 PM CST UNK 1 NE FULTON Callaway County, MO CALLAWAY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON A HOUSE IN FULTON. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:37 PM CST UNK 1 WNW KINGDOM CITY Callaway County, MO CALLAWAY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A DOWNED TREE BLOCKING THE ROAD AT OLD U.S. HWY 40 AND STATE HWY FF NEAR KINGDOM CITY. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:35 PM CST UNK 1 ESE LOOSE CREEK Osage County, MO OSAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED HOME DAMAGE ALONG LOOSE CREEK HIGHWAY. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:35 PM CST UNK 5 N RUSH HILL Audrain County, MO AUDRAIN COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED A TREE DOWN ON HWY J NEAR THE HWY B INTERSECTION. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:34 PM CST UNK 2 SSE LOOSE CREEK Osage County, MO OSAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A TRAMPOLINE WAS BLOWN INTO THE SIDE OF A HOUSE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:32 PM CST UNK 1 S LAKE MYKEE Callaway County, MO CALLAWAY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A TREE DOWN BLOCKING THE ROADWAY AT STATE HWY AA AND PLATINUM ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:32 PM CST UNK 2 WNW KINGDOM CITY Callaway County, MO TREE DOWN ON ROADWAY ON ROUTE FF. (LSX) December 10, 06:32 PM CST UNK 5 N RUSH HILL Audrain County, MO TREE DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF J AND B. TIME ESTIMATED USING RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:31 PM CST UNK 3 N WESTPHALIA Osage County, MO TREE DOWN BLOCKING BOTH LANES OF HIGHWAY 63 APPROX 1 MILE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 50. (LSX) December 10, 06:30 PM CST UNK 2 N WESTPHALIA Osage County, MO OSAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A ROOF OFF A BUSINESS AT 674 HWY 63. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:28 PM CST UNK 2 W WESTPHALIA Osage County, MO OSAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 133 INTO WESTPHALIA. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:26 PM CST UNK 1 W WESTPHALIA Osage County, MO OSAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A ROOF OFF A BUILDING AT COUNTY ROAD 503 AND HIGHWAY 133. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (LSX) December 10, 06:22 PM CST UNK 3 WSW GROVESPRING Wright County, MO MOBILE HOME MOVED OFF ITS FOUNDATION NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY M AND DD. (SGF) December 10, 06:20 PM CST 200 BOGATA Red River County, TX WIND GUSTS ESTIMATED AT 62 MPH AND HAIL FROM ONE TO UP TO TWO INCH ESTIMATED HAIL SIZE. (SHV) December 10, 06:19 PM CST 60 4 NE ASHLAND Boone County, MO COLUMBIA...MO (COU) ASOS REPORTS GUST OF 52.0 KNOTS FROM SW @ 0019Z KCOU 110032Z 20014G22KT 2SM VCTS +RA BR FEW024 BKN043 OVC080 14/13 A2943 RMK AO2 PK WND 22052/0019 R (LSX) December 10, 06:10 PM CST UNK 3 S RICHLAND Pulaski County, MO TREES DOWN FROM SOUTH OF RICHLAND TO SOUTH OF CROCKER. (SGF) December 10, 06:00 PM CST UNK LINN CREEK Camden County, MO CARPORT DAMAGED ALONG WITH SEVERAL TREES. (SGF) December 10, 05:59 PM CST UNK AUGUSTA Woodruff County, AR POSSIBLE TORNADO. THE WOODRUFF COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF AUGUSTA. SEVERAL HOMES WERE DAMAGED... WITH TREES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOW (LZK) December 10, 05:59 PM CST UNK 4 S COLUMBIA Boone County, MO TREE DOWN OVER ROADWAY ON ROCK QUARRY AND GANS ROAD. (LSX) December 10, 05:52 PM CST 70 STRAFFORD Greene County, MO (SGF) December 10, 05:40 PM CST 60 2 W GALLOWAY Greene County, MO TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (SGF) December 10, 05:40 PM CST UNK 4 SE GLIDEWELL Greene County, MO 2 UTILITY POLES SNAPPED. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (SGF) December 10, 05:25 PM CST UNK 2 NE NEMO Hickory County, MO UNCONFIRMED REPORT OR A ROOF REMOVED FROM A HOME AND BARN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. (SGF) December 10, 04:56 PM CST 100 3 E FARMERSVILLE Collin County, TX SOCIAL MEDIA IMAGE OF MEASURED 1 INCH HAIL. TIME ESTIMATED VIA RADAR. (FWD) December 10, 03:35 PM CST 100 1 NE PRESCOTT Nevada County, AR CORRECTS PREVIOUS HAIL REPORT FROM 1 NE PRESCOTT. LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS MULTIPLE CALLS REGARDING QUARTER SIZED HAIL AROUND THE CITY OF PRESCOTT. (SHV)

Thursday's unemployment report from the Labor Department shows claims dropped closer to pre-pandemic levels.

It was also the lowest level for initial claims since early March 2020. Initial claims decreased by 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 268,000 for the second week of November.

“For the unemployment claims numbers, we definitely have seen a drop in recent times and that could be positive to the degree that it’s reflected of more people either not losing their jobs, or moving from the unemployed category to the employed category,” said John Quinterno, a visiting professor of practice at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.

Quinterno said the numbers reflect the pandemic.

“The economy’s trajectory is intertwined with the pandemic trajectory,” he said.

Unemployment claims are trending down, yet a lot of jobs in certain industries like hospitality and travel are still going unfilled.

“The jobs that are open are in a place where the labor doesn't want to move. And I think that is the reason why we are having some disequilibrium in the labor market,” said Kishore Kulkarni, an economics professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Kulkarni said workers have changed what they want out of a job.

“The labor is not really interested in doing the on-site job. They are more used to doing work from home. They understand that the cost of going to the onsite job, they have to have vaccination, they have to have a mask on all eight hours of the day,” Kulkarni said.

And there are fewer workers to fill the roles in the first place.

“Going back to February 2020, there are still about 4.5 million fewer workers in the labor force than there were when we started, so folks have exited,” Quinterno said.

Quinterno said that could be due to a number of factors like retirement, health risks, and childcare.

So what can people expect moving forward?

“We need to first get the public health side, the pandemic side, under control. Otherwise, we’ll just continue to be riding these waves of a few months of progress when case numbers go down, and then we’ll have more hardship when the case numbers go back up,” Quinterno said.

Kulkarni said it’s impossible to predict, but the progress of the pandemic will be a good indicator.

The

Department of Labor




said Thursday that 3.8 million Americans filed for unemployment in the last week, bringing the six-week total to about 30 million.

Those figures are slightly down from last week, when the Department of Labor reported that

4.4 million Americans filed initial claims for unemployment.

Florida saw the largest increase in unemploment claims last week, as claims jumped by 326,000. The jump comes after the state's unemployment offices

shut down over the weekend




in order to deal with a back log of applications.

Connecticut, West Virginia, Louisiana and Texas also saw a significant increase in claims.

The past month-and-a-half have seen unprecedented numbers of new unemployment claims amid the coronavirus pandemic. From 2007 to early 2020, the Department of Labor reports that the highest number of new unemployment claims filed was

about 665,000.




But since local governments began enforcing shutdowns of non-essential businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Labor Department reports that an average of about 5 million Americans has filed claims a week.

Unemployment claims are usually a good indicator as to how many Americans lost their jobs in the past week. But a recent survey from the

Economic Policy Institute




indicates that millions of Americans gave up filing for assistance or haven't even tried because they knew systems would be overloaded.

The new figures come a day after the Commerce Department released grim estimates, indicating that the U.S. economy had shrunk

nearly 5 percent in the last quarter.

On the same day the Michigan capitol building was flooded with protesters, some of whom openly carrying guns and tactical gear, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended a state of emergency for Michigan.

Meanwhile, the Republican-held legislature voted to sue the Democratic governor over the authority to issue a state of emergency in the state. This comes after the legislature did not approve its own state of emergency order.

The series of three executive orders Whitmer issued on Thursday largely keep intact some of the most stringent virus mitigation orders implemented nationwide. Retail operations, gyms, entertainment facilities and other non-essential businesses will remain closed in the state.

The orders will continue to allow the operation of essential services such as grocery stores, take-out dining, pharmacies, banks and daycares.

"COVID-19 is an enemy that has taken the lives of more Michiganders than we lost during the Vietnam War,” said Governor Whitmer in a news release. “While some members of the legislature might believe this crisis is over, common sense and all of the scientific data tells us we’re not out of the woods yet. By refusing to extend the emergency and disaster declaration, Republican lawmakers are putting their heads in the sand and putting more lives and livelihoods at risk. I’m not going to let that happen.”

While the decision to reopen the economy has become political nationwide, the political debate in Michigan has become bitter. President Donald Trump said it was time to “liberate” Michigan in a tweet earlier this month, as protests began to spread.

“Today, we offered our hand of partnership to the governor,” speaker of Michigan’s House of Representatives Lee Chatfield said. “No politics. We’re all in this together and we should all work together. We believe upholding the democratic process is best for Michigan people. She just said no. Very disappointing.”

The calls to reopen the economy in Michigan come as more than 1.25 million Michigan workers have filed for unemployment in the last six weeks.

But in a state that Trump won in 2016, and is once again a state he would likely need to win in 2020 to keep hold of the White House, Whitmer has received generally positive approval from the state’s Democrats and independents. A statewide poll conducted by the Detroit Chamber of Commerce last week showed that 57% of Michigan voters approved of her handling of the coronavirus response, compared to 37% who disapproved.

Meanwhile, 44% of Michigan voters approve of Trump’s handling of the virus response, compared to 50% who disapprove.

For the better part of three months, Greg Morrison has spent most of his waking moments searching for jobs. Last week, that search finally paid off for the 33-year-old TV producer, who lives in Los Angeles.

Three months without a paycheck, though, hasn’t been easy.

“Every time you slide your credit card to pay for groceries or write a rent check, there’s that voice in your head that knows it’s coming out of your savings,” Morrison said.

As COVID-19 swept across the country earlier this year, it all but ceased production of most television shows in L.A. For Morrison, the realization came fairly quickly that this stretch of unemployment would last much longer than the typical few weeks he has between some jobs.

He’s been surviving on the extra $600 that the federal government has added to unemployment benefits as part of the CARES Act, but even that has been hard to come by.

“They are seven weeks behind on my unemployment payments,” he said. “I can’t get anyone on the phone. They say they’ve setup another line, but I can’t reach anyone.”

But even with all the troubles he’s facing getting unemployment benefits, prospects are looking better for Morrison and some Americans who have found themselves out of work because of the virus, especially as some states begin easing their stay-at-home restrictions.

“It’s a lot more promising than it was a few weeks ago,” said Morrison, who just accepted a new producing job that starts in June.

Although he’s hesitant given the current situation with the pandemic, he’s also hopeful.

“I’m happy to be one of the lucky ones right now,” he added.

As for economists, many still believe recovering from the pandemic will not be like flipping a light switch back on.

“It’ll be five years before a full recovery,” said David Parsley, who teaches economics at Vanderbilt University.

But Parsley says jobs will slowly begin to return as more states open for business.

“There’s always opportunities, but these opportunities will be for people who are skilled; people who are trained,” he said.

Millions of people across America are leaving their jobs in what’s called The Big Quit. What’s next for those people?

The signs say ‘Most Beautiful Small Town in America’. Joshua Hoff certainly isn’t arguing that about little Bardstown, Kentucky.

“We just fell in love with the town, fell in love with the culture they try to keep here,” said Hoff. “We are very rich in history.”

Hoff was a forklift operator for a major manufacturer.

“I was making good money,” he said. “People called me crazy for leaving that job. I knew there was more in life than working for someone else and making someone else money.”

Hoff came up with a plan. He’d drive people anywhere in Bardstown for just $5.

“My business is Bourbon City Taxi,” he said. “Every day, I get up. I have people who are happy to see me. I’m happy to see them. My attitude stays positive, so my business has flourished because of that.”

“It’s something we’ve never seen,” said Cara Partinger with Personnel Placements in Bowling Green, Kentucky. “It’s definitely evolving and changing.”

Partinger knows very well the rate at which people are quitting jobs to find a better fit, or like in Hoff’s case, just work for themselves.

“Post-pandemic, it’s been child care issues, a more flexible schedule and a higher wage,” said Partinger. “A lot of people got an opportunity to be at home. They saw they could live off one salary if it’s a double-income home. A lot of mothers and fathers have chosen to stay at home with children.”

Kentucky leads the country on the quit rate.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 4.5% of working Kentuckians quit their jobs in August. Looking at the entire United States, 4.3 million people quit their jobs that month. The three states with the highest quit rates: Kentucky, Idaho, and Georgia. They are also states that don’t go higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

Partinger said the employers she’s working with are willing and ready to adapt.

“You’re gonna have to listen to your workers more,” she said. “Now more than ever you do because there’s such a great need for people in the workforce right now.”

As the nationwide unemployment rate continues to sit in unprecedented territory, the dramatic job loss numbers also mean millions of Americans have suddenly found themselves without health insurance.

Experts call it a cruel twist during the pandemic, meaning many people who get sick with COVID-19 may not get the health care help they need because they don’t have coverage.

“We have massive numbers of people who are worried about their health but who no longer have coverage,” said Michelle Johnson, who oversees the nonprofit Tennessee Justice Center.

Johnson says calls to her organization have increased dramatically in the last few months as Americans are finding themselves uninsured after losing their jobs due to COVID-19.

“We’re just going to continue seeing people who are losing their insurance,” she said.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 27 million people in the United States may have lost employer-sponsored insurance. Roughly half of Americans receive health insurance through their jobs. And while programs like COBRA allow people who have been laid off to continue their coverage, many can’t afford to pay those costs with no income.

Johnson says the problem is particularly troubling in state’s like hers where Medicaid expansion already meant there were hundreds of thousands of residents who were uninsured.

She hopes the federal government might consider opening enrollment in the Affordable Care Act to help those who have suddenly lost coverage.

Johnson’s biggest concern though, is the consequences may prove deadly as those without coverage now avoid trips to the doctor or emergency room for fear of getting stuck with bills they can’t afford.

“People will delay getting the care they need because they’re worried about being a financial burden,” said Johnson.

WASHINTON, D.C. -- Senate Democrats are unveiling a plan to extend additional unemployment benefits.

This is for the extra $600 every week, on top of what states already offer for unemployment.

The new proposal would decrease the added benefit as the unemployment rate drops.

The Economic Policy Institute supports that plan, saying the additional benefit should stay in place as long as needed.

“People are really, really uncertain about how this is going to unfold over the coming months, so putting some arbitrary end date on any provisions related to supporting the economy and the people in it during this crisis makes no sense,” said Heidi Shierholz, Senior Economist and Director of Policy at the Economic Policy Institute.

The institute tells us the expansion makes a huge difference, not just for the individual, but for all of us. It estimates if it cuts off at the end of July, that could cost the U.S. 5 million jobs over the next year. That's because less spending creates a further drag on the economy.

However, Republicans say the expanded benefit gives people a reason to not go back to work.

Some studies have found the economy could actually be worse off if people don't get working again.

The American Enterprise Institute agrees, saying the move was just meant to get through the initial lockdown.

“This is becoming less of a, the pandemic caused us to initiate lockdowns and people are at home, and now it's just we have a large number of unemployed people, what should we do to assist them, and $600 addition to unemployment checks in a bad economy is a really unprecedented step,” said Matt Weidinger with the American Enterprise Institute.

The group says extending the benefits could set that precedent for Congress to act similarly for any future recessions.

For the first time in roughly four months, weekly jobless claims in the U.S. have risen. The Department of Labor’s latest reports shows 1.4 million people filed new jobless claims, compared to 1.3 million people the week prior.

“People are overwhelmed by the news. They are overwhelmed when they see that a million extra people just filed for unemployment,” said Sarah Johnston, a job search strategist.

Johnston runs the company Briefcase Coach and specializes in helping people find work in this job market.

“The good news is my clients and I know from looking at LinkedIn’s update, people are getting jobs,” said Johnston.

Finding a job right now, with such high unemployment, is not easy. It is competitive but--as Johnston teaches in a course with LinkedIn-- if you search in the “hidden job market,” you’ll find better success.

“The hidden job market is all the jobs that are unadvertised online,” said Johnston.

These jobs may be unadvertised because an employer may be planning a promotion or expanding but hasn’t announced that yet. If you can get to know the hiring manager before new jobs post, you have a better chance of topping their list of candidates.

“Tip number one is to understand what your options are. You really need to know your target companies, who hires people like you for work that you want to do,” said Johnston.

She recommends creating a “target list” of the companies you want to work for and find out who are the hiring managers.

Then, move on to tip number two, which is seeing who in your existing network may know or have connections to those managers or someone in that list of companies.

“The final tip would be to not be afraid of being proactive in your job search and making contact or reaching out or getting an introduction to a hiring manager at your dream company or companies on your target list,” said Johnston. “It only takes one conversation to change the entire trajectory of your job search.”

Johnston’s in-depth course on navigating the hidden job market is available on LinkedIn. It is one of many courses being offered by job search companies to help millions of Americans find work again.

It took Congress almost nine months, but they have finally agreed on another stimulus pkg. The deal provides a one-time stimulus check, extends the eviction mortarium another month, and adds an additional $300 supplemental to extended unemployment benefits.

In total, it’s a $900 billion plan that now protects roughly 40 million Americans from potentially being evicted from their homes and prevents 12 million Americans from losing out on unemployment benefits.

“It is a success and a win because that won’t happen,” said Stephanie Freed, “Beyond that, it’s not much of a win.”

Stephanie Freed is among millions of Americans who are unemployed and have already expired out of unemployment benefits. Under the new deal, she will be able to now apply for unemployment again and will be eligible for the additional $300 weekly supplemental. However, even with reinstated and slightly higher benefits, it will still be a struggle to get by.

“The $300 is half of what people needed to survive, and the bigger problem is that it is not retroactive,” said Freed. “There has been five months with no additional benefit, state UI is not a livable wage.”

Freed has created an online organization called ExtendPUA in order to help others who are also struggling with unemployment during the pandemic. There are members of Extend PUA that have been getting as little as $7 a week in unemployment benefits since the $600 federal supplemental dropped off in July.

Grant McDonald is the co-founder of Extend PUA and knows firsthand that state unemployment benefits alone are not enough to survive. Like many, he has had to drain his savings and take on significant debt to just keep him barely afloat.

“Personally, I have not kept up with the number because I have just been trying to keep up with it all,” said McDonald. “I am just trying to pay as much as I can and watch my savings slowly disappear.”

In the latest stimulus package, Congress did agree on a $600 stimulus check that some say could help with debt accumulated.

“I think $600 is what rich people think poor people think is a lot of money, when in reality, that additional $300 plus the $600, one-time, is not going to help anyone pay any of the accumulated debts,” McDonald added.

For Freed, McDonald, and the thousands of unemployed people who have reached out to Extend PUA, the new stimulus deal is something, but nothing close to what they’ve been waiting nearly nine months for.

“We understand there are some wins here but mostly it means that we have to keep fighting,” said Freed.

The Biden administration has called this latest package a “down payment” to the American people, signaling an expectation for yet another more robust stimulus deal. Members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, have also mentioned a need for another stimulus deal soon. However, similar messaging was heard after the passage of the CARES Act, and then it took nearly nine months to see a significantly smaller relief package.

BRANSON, Mo. — Branson, Missouri is a tourist destination for tens of thousands of families every summer. The winter months bring colder temperatures and empty amusement parks, meaning high unemployment across the community. This year, COVID-19 has made the widespread seasonal poverty even worse.

Kevin Huddleston runs the Christian Action Ministries Food Bank in Branson and helps feed thousands of families per year. He said this year, they've handed out twice the amount of food as they did last year because so many families have been financially struggling through the pandemic.

Huddleston said the need for services has fluctuated throughout the year, skyrocketing at times and leveling out when the stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits kicked in. With winter on the horizon, he is worried for what is to come.

"I really am concerned that we are entering our season of highest demand, and typically, normally people enter this period of time with some stored back, they have some money set aside, some food set aside, to get them through the dark days of winter when our tourism season is dormant here. We don’t have that fallback this year, people are not prepared," said Huddleston.

He is also worried that the community, without a homeless shelter or affordable housing units, will see more community members on the streets than ever before.

"I think we’re likely going to see a housing problem this winter, seeing more people being homeless situationally, so we as a community are scrambling trying to do something."

The city is opening up a warming center for people to have somewhere to go to escape the frigid temperatures, but it is not an overnight place yet. Huddleston is hoping a homeless shelter will be able to open up soon.

Despite the adversity families are facing across this tourist town, Huddleston said he does have hope.

"Our financial contributions have been very good this year, much better than we’ve expected in this kind of economic situation," he said, adding that their shelves are often overstocked.

Thankfully, food supply has not been an issue. The food bank has been able to help thousands without ever running out.

Still, he says handing out food does not fix the problem. He and other community leaders said poverty in Branson needs to be addressed at the root. He is part of a group helping to build resources in the community so families can work themselves out of a constant situation of struggle. However, he is worried these solutions will not come quick enough.

"We are planning for a very dire situation this winter," he said. "We are going to practice as if that’s going to happen, and if it doesn’t, we’ll be blessed."

The latest stimulus package passed by Congress is one of the longest bills to be pushed so quickly through the Senate and the House. The final bill was handed to lawmakers just hours before they voted on it.

“This bill is too long, too complicated,” said Thea Lee, president of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

EPI expects the $900-billion package will provide an instant jolt to our economy by extending unemployment benefits and enhancing them by $300 a week. It also includes a $600 stimulus check for millions of Americans and $25 billion for housing and eviction protection.

There are hundreds of billions of dollars for Paycheck Protection Program loans, intended for small businesses. However, those touted benefits only take up a couple of pages in the nearly 5,600-page bill.

"There are things in there that don’t belong in there,” said Lee.

In fact, as more experts and government watchdog organizations start to sift through the stimulus bill, which was also tied to an ominous spending bill, the list of non-pandemic related funding and measures grows.

“Some of it is things like horse-racing commissions [funding] and so on, but some of it shouldn’t be in there because it is helping either people or businesses that don’t need the help,” Lee explained.

For example, there’s a tax break on alcohol, and Lee pointed out the alcohol industry is one that has actually thrived during the pandemic. Legislators also included a tax break for what has been dubbed the Three Martini Lunch.

“It’s a deduction for business people who are having expensive lunches out. That has been extended in this bill,” said Lee. "That is not the best way, the most targeted way to help the restaurant industry.”

For all of the non-pandemic-related measures squeezed into this latest deal, there is a surprise in what did not make it in.

“The most important thing that is not in the stimulus bill is aid to state and local governments,” said Lee. "If they don’t get enough aid from the federal government, they will have to start laying off workers.”

Another thing not in the stimulus bill was an extension on the student loan payment pause. Many student loan borrowers will have to start repaying loans in January and interest will begin accruing again.

There is also, notably, no transparency requirement tied to small business PPP loans. Watchdog organizations, like U.S. Public Interest Research Group, have been calling for it for months, given all the issues seen with the first round of PPP loan funding.

"The Department of Justice has actually indicted 57 people so far from stealing over $175 million from the PPP loan program,” said RJ Cross with U.S. PIRG.

Also, lawsuits filed by several news organizations forced the Small Business Administration to reveal more names of companies that have received the forgivable loans. The result has shown that most of the PPP loans issued in the first round, more than $250 billion, went to larger than intended business. The smallest businesses, in which the loans were intended for, actually struggled to get the funding they needed.

U.S. PIRG has fought for months to get transparency requirements tied to PPP loan money to prevent further fraud and corruption in the program, and the group was surprised that was not included in this latest stimulus package.

“If folks are very clear on the fact that information about their loans, their application, and their businesses will be made public, it helps to deter a lot of fraudsters in the beginning,” Cross added. “Congress largely squandered that opportunity to strengthen those measures that would increase public trust in the PPP program.”

Congress is expected to immediately begin working on yet another stimulus bill in January and could address some of the concerns with this latest bill.

"I hope that Congress can come back in 2021 and take up the elements that are missing from this bill,” said Lee.

WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment aid soared last week to 965,000, the most since late August and evidence that the resurgent virus has caused a spike in layoffs.

The latest figures for jobless claims, issued Thursday by the Labor Department, remain at levels never seen until the virus struck.

Before the pandemic, weekly applications typically numbered around 225,000.

Last spring, after nationwide shutdowns took effect, applications for jobless benefits spiked to nearly 7 million — 10 times the previous record high.

After declining over the summer, weekly claims have been stuck above 700,000 since September.

Fraud continues to burden Ohio's already overwhelmed unemployment system. Once a minor issue, fraudulent claims have exploded during the pandemic. At the same time, there are more Ohioans out of work and relying on the system.

Fraudulent claims are slowing down payments for the legitimate claimants. Fraudsters steal the identities of Ohioans to file claims in their names. The state still does not know how much money has gone out illegitimately but is working to figure that out.

With tax season around the corner, state officials fear many more Ohioans will soon learn their identities were compromised in 2020 without their knowledge.

Lisa Hyde-Miller, who lives in Cincinnati found out Thursday that someone tried to steal her identity.

She got a call from human resources after she left her job at Roll Hill Community Center.

"This is not happening. That was the first thing that came to my mind," she said.

The human resources employee told her someone applied for unemployment benefits in her name.

"They used their home address and their home phone number with my name and my social," she said.

She said she immediately started making calls and researching what to do next.

Hyde-Miller woke up early Friday morning and starting calling the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The numbers she found online at first were no help. Then she came across a WLWT article from August 2020.

The story was about a local woman whose personal information had been compromised. Someone filed for unemployment benefits in her name and received thousands of dollars. The woman was having a difficult time getting in touch with the right people to stop the payments. She said she spent hours on hold, emailed and faxed the ODJFS and two weeks later, still was not having any luck.

WLWT took her situation to ODJFS and found that her complaints were not going to the right place. We provided tips in our story with the correct contact information.

Hyde-Miller said she used the information in that story to solve her own case and was on the phone with the person she needed within 45 minutes.

"You gave me the right number to call," she said. "Here it is four, five months later and it helped me out today."

Ohio's overwhelmed unemployment system gets similar calls daily. ODJFS Director Kim Henderson said the agency saw more than a 2,000% increase in unemployment claims in March. Despite hiring more employees, the agency still has not been able to catch up. Henderson said the number of fraudulent claims is a big part of the reason why.

"The impact on the team and our capacity has been tremendous," she said. "I hear the concerns of those who are waiting."

The fraud is so widespread both Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said unemployment claims have been filed in their names.

The overwhelming majority of the fraudulent attempts are occurring in the state's federal pandemic unemployment assistance program, coined PUA, as opposed to the state's regular unemployment program.

Husted said this week that 796,000 of the state's 1.4 million PUA claims have been flagged for 'potential fraud.' That is more than half of them.

Henderson said her agency is preparing to mail 1.7 million 1099-G tax forms to Ohioans on the record as receiving unemployment benefits in 2020. The agency caught nearly 170,000 forms, determined to be linked to fraudulent claims before they were sent out, but it knows there could be hundreds of thousands more.

"We know some individuals will be receiving forms who did not actually file for or receive benefits are likely victims of identity theft," she said.

Henderson said the state sent approximately 2,000 1099-G tax forms to Ohioans for 2019, in comparison to 1.7 million for 2020.

ODJFS recommends people take the following steps if you feel like you may be a fraud victim:

• Visiting the ODJFS unemployment website and click 'Report identity theft'
• Accessing the ODJFS fraud page at jfs.ohio.gov/fraud [jfs.ohio.gov] and clicking on the “Unemployment Insurance Claimant” button, which will take the victim to an online form to fill out
• Calling 1-800-686-1555 and pressing Option 1.
• Faxing information to 1-614-752-4808.
• Or sending ODJFS an email to ucbenprotest@jfs.ohio.gov.

If you are determined to be a victim of fraud:

• Follow all the steps above to alert ODJFS
• Review your credit report and place an initial fraud alert on your credit file
• File a police report
• File your taxes

A lifeline for an estimated 7.5 million people is set to run out.

Enhanced and pandemic-related unemployment benefits expire on Monday, Sept. 6.

This as COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to rise due to the delta variant.

About 800,000 New York City residents will stop receiving the benefits after Sept. 6, according to a study released this week by the New School’s Center for New York City Affairs.

The loss of benefits also comes as the nationwide ban on evictions is over.

Last week, the Supreme Court knocked down the CDC’s federal eviction moratorium.

It was expected to be in place through October 3.

President Biden has urged states with high unemployment rates to keep the enhanced $300 weekly benefit program going.

However, no state leaders have announced plans for an extension.

This story was originally reported by Axel Turcios on Newsy.com.

CINCINNATI —

Some police departments across Greater Cincinnati are now seeing a surge of identity theft reports linked to unemployment fraud.

People said they're finding out something is wrong when they receive a tax form in the mail.

Officials said there are steps you should take if you find one of those forms in your mailbox.

It's a problem that is unfortunately becoming more common by the day.

One police department we talked with said they had five new identity theft reports linked to unemployment fraud on Wednesday.

"Yeah, it's makes you mad," victim Al said.

Al only wants to use his first name to protect his identity from any further harm but found himself filing a police report for identity theft last week.

He got a 1099-G tax form in the mail for fraudulent unemployment payments but said he hasn't been unemployed at all.

Al said he called the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and waited for more than an hour for help.

"They told me that they were going to put a flag on my account, as far as unemployment benefits go," he said.

He also said he checked with the three credit bureaus and his bank to make sure there wasn't anything suspicious happening there.

ODJFS said it has received 80,000 fraud reports online alone in two weeks.

One police report from our area showed a woman received, "A 1099 from Job and Family Services for collecting $23,000 in unemployment."

Another said a man told police there was a fraudulent claim for $16,000.

ODJFS Director Kim Henderson said the last three months of 2020, there were fraudulent traditional unemployment overpayments worth $2.3 million.

In just December, she said there were fraudulent pandemic unemployment assistance overpayments worth $330 million.

She described a surge when it comes to the 1099-G forms, pointing out that in January 2021, 1.7 million forms were issued compared to about 200,000 forms in January 2020.

"After we receive a report of potential identity theft, we will process the report, issue applicable fraud determinations and if necessary, issue a corrected 1099 form to the IRS," Henderson said.

Attorney General Dave Yost has asked congress to shield people in a scenario like Al's from paying taxes on the fraudulent funds, as more people catch on to the crime.

"I wanted to know who did it. I wanted to know how they did it. Who put the check in their hand or what address did it go to? And they couldn't help me," he said.

ODJFS said if this happens to you, you should report it immediately.

You can use a new online portal to address unemployment fraud by visiting unemployment.ohio.gov.

You can also call the new ID Theft Hotline at 1-833-658-0394.

Officials said you can file your taxes without the erroneous 1099-G form.

They also said you should take steps to protect your identity.

ODJFS recommends people take the following steps if you feel like you may be a fraud victim:

• Visiting the ODJFS unemployment website and click 'Report identity theft'
• Accessing the ODJFS fraud page at jfs.ohio.gov/fraud [jfs.ohio.gov] and clicking on the “Unemployment Insurance Claimant” button, which will take the victim to an online form to fill out
• Calling 1-800-686-1555 and pressing Option 1.
• Faxing information to 1-614-752-4808.
• Or sending ODJFS an email to ucbenprotest@jfs.ohio.gov.

If you are determined to be a victim of fraud:

• Follow all the steps above to alert ODJFS
• Review your credit report and place an initial fraud alert on your credit file
• File a police report
• File your taxes

As more employers are starting to require their employers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, some people online are suggesting people refuse the vaccine so their employer will fire them, allowing them to collect unemployment. However, it's not that simple.

"If a company has a policy requiring vaccines, and an employee won't comply, that would generally be considered a firing for cause, which would render that individual ineligible for Ohio unemployment benefits," Northern Kentucky law professor Ken Katkin said.

The Ohio unemployment handbook says firing for cause can be "violating established company rules" or "disregarding the employers' interest." Kentucky and Indiana have similar provisions in place.

If someone said they have a medical disability that prevents them from getting the vaccine, that would be a valid claim under certain circumstances.

"If and only if somebody has an actual disability that's recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act," Katkin said.

Claiming a religious exemption is also possible, but in order to get that exemption a person would likely need to provide evidence that they adhere to those religious teachings.

Katkin said employees need to use the procedures employers provide to seek exemptions and not to expect to just be fired. Without going through those processes, Katkin said, people shouldn't expect to receive unemployment compensation.

The new $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law on Thursday will help millions of Americans and businesses immediately as it issues more loans and stimulus checks.

But economists warn while the new stimulus will help boost the economy, it will not have as strong of an effect on the unemployment rate.

“We are in a jobs hole that’s on the order of 12 million jobs,” said Heidi Sheirholz, a labor economist with the Economic Policy Institute. “It’s just enormous.”

Although the current unemployment number of 10.1 million is well below its April 2020 high of 23.1 million, it is still nearly twice as high as pre-pandemic levels of 5.7 million according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

That is not taking into account the 2.5 million jobs that the BLS estimated would have been created in 2020.

“This [stimulus] will help so many people,” said Sheirholz. “It’s just a groundbreaking package, [but] it takes more time to have a business get formed, built, and to hire people so [lowering unemployment] is not going to happen overnight.”

Stephanie Dudley is one of those people relying on the American Rescue Plan. A mother of two that lives in Los Angeles, she has been unemployed since the pandemic first hit.

She says looking for work has been difficult and she has relied on unemployment as a way to make ends meet.

“I think, overall, [the process of getting employment] has been sluggish,” she said.

In its most recent report, the Congressional Budget Office said the U.S. economy would reach its pre-pandemic output by this summer, which is faster than expected, but the CBO says unemployment will not reach its pre-pandemic level until 2024, which Sheirholz says is a reason for concern.

“We know things will be improving by September [when the unemployment provisions are set to expire], but we are still going to have a big jobs hole by September 6,” said Sheirholz. “There won’t be enough jobs to go around by then.”

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