HOUSTON, Texas — We've come to expect disheartening updates on the nation's jobless situation every Thursday.
That's when the U.S. Department of Labor releases weekly data.
"An additional 3.8 million Americans filed for unemployment claims,” said CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger.
The six-week total amid the COVID-19 crisis now hovers around 30 million Americans.
That's roughly the population of Texas.
In Harris County, neighborhoods like the 5 Corners District of South Houston are among the hardest hit.
That’s according to a new study by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research which pinpointed the most affected areas.
"This is about neighborhoods where people live, and who is losing jobs in neighborhoods where people live,” said Kinder Institute Director Bill Fulton.
Data shows that nearly 9% of workers who live in 5 Corners may have recently suffered a job loss.
Many of them work in sectors significantly impacted by the downturn, like restaurants and hotels.
"These people are sort of economically vulnerable to begin with; they live paycheck to paycheck," said Fulton. "They’re going to have trouble paying their rent, they’re going to have trouble making a car payment if they have car payments.”
Other neighborhoods hard hit by COVID-19 related unemployment include Aldine, Greenspoint, Gulfton and Sharpstown.
Many people in the Greenspoint area work at nearby Bush Intercontinental Airport.
"There are so many of us out there,” said laid off worker Martha Grimm.
She's been looking for a job while awaiting jobless benefits.
“I’m 61 and I’m not getting anything," said Grimm. "I live in an apartment and it’s just really frustrating because there’s no cash coming in.”
We’ve heard about the unequal toll COVID-19 has taken on certain populations when it comes to their health.
Fulton said the study reveals the economic impact may be unequal as well.
"And neighborhoods that are already at risk, the people who live in these neighborhoods are losing income rapidly,” said Fulton.
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