COVID-19 watch

Tracking Hardship - May 22, 2020

Week after week, the toll of the pandemic grows, damaging the health and economic security of millions. About one-half of adults either lost paid work or live with someone who did. Shocking numbers are running out of food or unable to pay rent. Economists tell us high unemployment will persist through 2021. If states and localities don’t get federal help, services and jobs will be slashed. The Senate must join the House in enacting COVID recovery legislation similar to the House’s HEROES act.

1.58 million/ 94,702

Number of confirmed cases/deaths in the US, as of 5/22 from John Hopkins University. Click to tweet / Facebook share.

Double or more

30.5% of Illinois COVID-19 deaths are African American; they make up 14% of IL’s population.  In Michigan, 40% of COVID deaths are African American; they are 14% of MI population. Tweet this/ Facebook share.

38.6 million

People filing unemployment claims from March 15 – May 16. Tweet this/ Facebook share. 

Half of adults

47.5% of adults lived in households where someone lost income from work since 3/13; 53% in households with incomes under $50,000. Tweet this/ Facebook share. 

43 states

Broke records with their highest unemployment rates in April ever collected (since data collection started in 1976).  Tweet this/ Facebook share. 

9.4 million

People with children in households with lost earnings that couldn’t afford enough food in the past week; 3 times as many as in households with children with no earnings loss (3 million). Tweet this/ Facebook share. 

More than one-quarter

25.7% of people in households where someone lost employment did not pay or deferred rent in April. Tweet this/ Facebook share. 

43,000 millionaires

Will gain $1.6 million each, on average, from a Millionaire’s Give-away tax loophole – but not if the repeal of it included in the House-passed HEROES bill passes the Senate. Tweet this/ Facebook share. 

9.3%

CBO’s estimate of annual unemployment rate in 2021, lower than this year’s average of 11.5%, but 2.5 times higher than in 2019 (3.7%). Tweet this/ Facebook share. 

-$765 billion

Shortfall in state funding over 3 years because of the pandemic that will force huge cuts in education, health care, public safety and other services if Congress doesn’t act.  Tweet this/ Facebook share. 

3 to 1

The margin by which voters say funding for education, health care and other public services is more important than keeping down government spending and debt. The same survey found that 84% of voters favor a $1 trillion federal aid package for states, cities and towns, which the HEROES Act would provide.Tweet this/ Facebook share. 

Sign the petition: The Senate must join the House in enacting COVID recovery legislation similar to the House’s HEROES act. 

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