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| - Wall Street stocks fell again early Thursday after US jobless claims data showed jobs losses continue, underscoring the depth of the economic slowdown amid the coronavirus crisis. About 25 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average stood at 22,833.64, down 1.8 percent. The broad-based S&P 500 also shed 1.8 percent to 2,770.61, along with the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index, which was at 8,706.40. Nearly three million people applied for unemployment benefits last week, only a modest decline from the prior week's level and the latest dreary reminder of the mounting impact from COVID-19 on American workers. The new data brings the total job destruction since economic shutdowns began in mid-March to 36.5 million, a figure rivaled only by the Great Depression 90 years ago. US stocks have fallen the last two days as markets have become less optimistic about the prospects for a speedy bounce-back for the US economy. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday, described the US outlook as "highly uncertain" and said more fiscal stimulus likely will be needed to avert long-term economic damage. However, congressional leaders are sparring over what to do next, with leading Republicans rejecting the latest spending bill proposed by Democrats, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saying the administration will proceed with caution. jmb/hs
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