US layoffs remain elevated as 803,000 seek jobless aid

A hiring sign shows outside of Gray M. Sanborn Elementary School in Palatine, Ill., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. Illinois reports biggest spike in unemployment claims of all states. On Wednesday, Dec. 23, the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell by 89,000 last week to a still-elevated 803,000, evidence that the job market remains under stress nine months after the coronavirus outbreak sent the U.S. economy into recession and caused millions of layoffs. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell by 89,000 last week to a still-elevated 803,000, evidence that the job market remains under stress nine months after the coronavirus outbreak sent the U.S. economy into recession and caused millions of layoffs.