http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/unemployment-great-depression-jobs-s5.jpg30 million Americans have filed jobless claims since the pandemic began, and the U.S. gross domestic product contracted by a 32.9 percent in the 2nd quarter.

WASHINGTON, DC - Enhanced unemployment benefits are set to expire as congressional negotiators are deadlocked over a coronavirus relief deal.

The additional $600 a week in unemployment insurance that Congress provided in late March will sunset on Friday at midnight, dealing a significant financial blow to millions of jobless Americans amid a weakening labor market.

Lawmakers had hoped the deadline, which was known for months, would result in the kind of eleventh-hour agreement that was once commonplace in Washington. But in a sign of how far apart negotiators are, the Senate left town for the week on Thursday, ensuring Congress will careen over the looming unemployment cliff.

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