But that figure is an undercount: Up to 13.9 million more Americans could not file for the benefits, according to a new survey from the Economic Policy Institute .
Policymakers have "made great headway" in expanding unemployment benefits during the crisis, Gould said, but the assistance is not coming quickly enough since state unemployment offices are overwhelmed with applications."That has been under-appreciated and will continue to cause problems that would be avoidable," Gould said.
"We want to do whatever we can to help state and localities get through that period – and not clamp down on the recovery," Gould said."There's no question that even when the immediate public health crisis is over, we're going to be looking at the worst depression that the US has experienced at least since the Great Depression of the 1930s," Mason said.
Workers and volunteers help load cars with food at a San Antonio Food Bank drive-through distribution during the coronavirus pandemic in San Antonio, Tuesday, April 7, 2020."That's where policymakers really need to step up more," she continued. "We can get through this economic devastation if we provide sufficient funding to households and to state and local governments to get through this.