More than 1.5 million Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits during the first week of June, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

More than 40 million Americans have filed new claims for unemployment benefits since March, and the economy had lost more than 21 million jobs before May’s reversal

Even so, nearly 300,000 Americans lost their jobs permanently in May and more than 15 million others who are currently on temporary layoffs are at risk to join them.

The Hill – More than 1.5 million file new jobless claims in first week of June