The number of unemployment assistance applications fell sharply from the peak of 900,000 reported in January.

However, unemployment rate kept at 2.6%, the same as the previous week, the Labor Department said.

The United States lost more than 21 million jobs from March to April 2020 due to the pandemic, and according to official figures, nearly eight million jobs have not recovered.

A Labor Department report released on Tuesday, job openings jumped nearly 8%, 8.1 million in March, the most in records dating December 2000.

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