Whatsapp Has 50 Million Monthly Users Globally

07/15/2020

1.3M

Initial jobless claims in regular state programs dropped 99,000 to a seasonally adjusted 1.3 million for the week ended July 4, the Labor Department reported Thursday — the figure marked the 14th straight weekly decline pushed jobless claims to their lowest level since mid-March. But it still means 15 straight weeks with claims topping 1 million. Claims peaked at a historic 6.9 million in late March — remain at historically high points during the 2007–09 Great Recession. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the record for weekly unemployment filings was 695,000 in October 1982.

According to the U.S Department of Labor data, the total number of Americans currently receiving unemployment benefits fell by nearly 700,000 to 18.1 million in the week ended June 27, compared with a median projection of 18.8 million.

6.5M

A new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the US hires increased by 2.4 million to a series high of 6.5 million in May — the highest since the government started tracking the series in 2000. The hiring rate jumped to an all-time high of 4.9% from 3.1% a month earlier. Total separations, which include quits, layoffs, and discharges, decreased by 5.8 million to 4.1 million — the largest decline since the series began. The layoffs and discharges rate fell to 2.4% in May, hitting a record high of 7.6% in March. Job openings increased to 5.4 million in May and 4.8M in June as there were an increase in vacancies in retail, accommodation and food services, healthcare and construction industries.

1.1M

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that NYC public schools will reopen for fall with a “blended learning” model, saying that students will attend in-person classes for one to three days a week and remotely the other days. The partial reopening plan meant to allow more space for the city’s 1.1 million students while maintaining social distancing recommendations of 6 feet surrounding each child. The optimal size is nine to 12 students per classroom, officials said.

The city’s reopening plan depends on children being in school so their parents are able to return to work. And Families who aren’t comfortable sending their kids to school can opt for full-time remote learning, De Blasio said. However, to reopen NYC schools, they’ll need a green light from Gov. Andrew Cuomo — and that decision isn’t likely to come until August.

14.2%

Two surveys from purchasing managers showed that Service sector in the United States showed signs of recovery in June as businesses began to reopen after a bruising period of COVID-19 lockdown. The seasonally adjusted final IHS Markit US Services Business Activity Index registered 47.9, up from 37.5 in May — This shows that economic activity in the U.S. services sector continues to contract, it is doing so at a slower pace. The services sector such as healthcare, technology and hospitality accounts for roughly two-thirds of total GDP — showing some hopeful signs in June. In a Wall Street Journal survey, economists said they expect the economy to grow by 14.2% in the third quarter, following a decline of 33.5% in the second quarter.

15,300

Florida breaks national record with 15,300 new COVID-19 cases — the highest single-day increase in new cases in any one state since the start of the pandemic. The state surpassing the previous record of 11,434 new cases — also set by Florida on July 4. The most recent surge in cases in Florida came as Disney World reopened on Saturday after having been shuttered for nearly four months. According to the state Department of Health data, 15,299 people tested positive, for a total of 269,811 cases, and 45 deaths were recorded. The data shows the increasing strains that Florida hospitals are under. Intensive care units in 43 Florida hospitals have reached capacity and have no beds available, state officials said.

0.2%

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. producer price index for final demand unexpectedly fell a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent in June from a month earlier. The decrease followed a 0.4% increase in May as businesses started to reopen from April’s coronavirus lockdowns that dragged inflation to historic lows. In the 12 months through June, the final demand index dropped 0.8%, matching May’s decrease. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg anticipated that PPI would increase by 0.4% for June and fall 0.2% on a year-on-year basis.

8%

States are weighing cuts in basic services including education, health care, universities, and other services as coronavirus ravages local economies and send states into a fiscal crisis. State and local governments have shed nearly 1.5 million jobs from the start of the pandemic in March through June, mostly in education, and more reductions are likely barring a quick economic recovery. Nan Whaley, Dayton Mayor says the city may have to cut up to 8% of its general fund budget, pays for city services, including police, fire, and other services. Every state now faces a budget gap, with estimates that revenue shortfalls could total more than $200 billion through this fiscal year.

50M

WhatsApp said it has reached a new milestone of 50 million monthly users globally on its WhatsApp Business App. It also announced that it launching new features like QR Code and Catalog Sharing to make it easier for users to do business on the app — allowing users to scan a QR code and chat directly with business and for businesses to share product catalogs on WhatsApp as links on websites, Facebook, Instagram and elsewhere, it said. In addition, WhatsApp is also bringing new business sticker packs that have more than 20 new animated designs to make conversations better and to help people and businesses stay connected, it said.

$1,000

An internet company is offering Animal Crossing fans a dream job, giving you the chance to win $1,000 USD by playing the popular game, which has been downloaded more than 10 million times. The company is paying $1,000 to test their internet connection while playing 50 hours of Animal Crossing. As the pandemic hit half of Americans’ finances — the company’s goal is to help them by doing something fun during a really bad time, the company said. It’s received 12,000 applications up to now since it announced the offer on July 6. To be eligible for this money, you must be legal residents of the United States over the age of 18 and you must apply online by August 6th, said the company.