Thursday's figure adds to the some 10 million people that have already applied for unemployment insurance amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced non-essential businesses across the country to close.

This means in just three weeks more than 16 million people have filed weekly jobless claims.

Some analysts say the number of claims will only get worse as businesses remain shuttered and the pandemic continues to clobber the U.S. labor market.

"This week’s unemployment insurance claims are yet another indication of the recessionary dynamics created by the coronavirus pandemic," Moody’s Investor Services Senior Vice President Robard Williams said Thursday.