2020 was a devastating year for working Americans Tom Vacar reports. OAKLAND, Calif. - The latest Labor Department report shows another 841,000 people filed new claims for state unemployment, plus another 308,000 gig workers and independent contractors filed for Federal Pandemic Relief. All told, that's well over 1.1 million new claims just last week, down only slightly from the previous week but well over any other we experienced in the Great Recession. One year ago, folks celebrated the coming of 2020 with justifiable economic hope, confidence, but oblivious to the invisible enemy already beginning to spread. But, just last week, 210,000 Californians applied for state or Federal unemployment assistance.