Recruiting in the Time of Coronavirus
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MIDEAST FACES AUTO RACING Afghanistan in shock Actor, musician NASCAR gets ready after brutal attack try to lift spirits to race again under on maternity ward during lockdown ‘huge microscope’ Page 3 Page 16 Back page GAO report criticizes Pentagon’s response to sexual assaults » Page 7 Volume 79, No. 20 ©SS 2020 CONTINGENCY EDITION FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 stripes.com Free to Deployed Areas VIRUS OUTBREAK Claims for jobless aid in US climb to 36 million BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Associated Press WASHINGTON — Nearly 3 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week as the viral outbreak led more companies to slash jobs even though most states have begun to let some businesses re- open under certain restrictions. Roughly 36 million people have now filed for jobless aid in the two months since the coronavirus first forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces, the Labor De- partment said Thursday. Still, the number of first-time Recruiting in the applications has now declined for six straight weeks, suggest- ing that a dwindling number of companies are reducing their payrolls. By historical standards, the lat- est tally shows that the number time of coronavirus of weekly jobless claims remains enormous, reflecting an econo- my that is sinking into a severe downturn. Last week’s pace of Despite deep cuts into numbers, officials say changes likely to stay new applications for aid was still four times the record high that BY COREY DICKSTEIN prevailed before the coronavirus Stars and Stripes struck hard in March. Jobless workers in some states taff Sgt. Riley Krebsbach still makes the same recruiting pitch to sell young Staff Sgt. Elysia Wilson, are still reporting difficulty ap- Americans on the U.S. Army despite the current coronavirus outbreak, but his a production recruiter plying for or receiving benefits. with the 168th Wing, These include freelance, gig and delivery is drastically different. self-employed workers, who be- helps enlist a new came newly eligible for jobless S Face-to-face meetings with potential recruits have been replaced by long hours recruit using a video aid this year. on a computer and smartphone — searching for and chatting with prospects in a safe digital conference call The states that are now easing environment. Instead of working from his Moreno Valley recruiting station in southern April 16 at Eielson lockdowns are doing so in varied Air Force Base, Alaska. California, visiting local high schools and canvassing community events to explain the ways. Ohio has permitted ware- This virtual enlistment houses, most offices, factories, benefits that come with Army service, Krebsbach now posts messages on social media and allowed a new Alaska and construction companies to interviews prospects via video conferencing services from his home. Air National Guard reopen, but restaurants and bars remain closed for indoor sit-down Because of social distancing, recruiters faced a sudden shift to telework and digital recruit to complete their oath of enlistment while service. prospecting, which Krebsbach said was challenging. But it has led them to rethink the art complying with COVID- SEE JOBLESS ON PAGE 10 of recruiting and find innovative ways to connect. The outbreak could have lasting impact 19 safety regulations. on the way the military fills its ranks. Online: Get the latest SHANNON CHACE on the virus outbreak SEE RECRUITING ON PAGE 4 U.S. Air National Guard stripes.com/coronavirus PAGE 2 •STARS AND STRIPES• Friday, May 15, 2020 BUSINESS/WEATHER EXCHANGE RATES Pandemic crisis forecast to hit insurers for $200B Military rates Switzerland (Franc)............................0.9739 Euro costs (May 15) ............................. $1.05 Thailand (Baht) ..................................... 32.13 Dollar buys (May 15) ........................€0.9028 Turkey (Lira) .........................................6.9648 Associated Press help them cope with the COVID- excess of those historical events,” British pound (May 15) ........................$1.19 (Military exchange rates are those Japanese yen (May 15) ......................104.00 available to customers at military banking 19 pandemic. the London-based insurance South Korean won (May 15) ..........1,197.00 LONDON — The pandemic Commercial rates facilities in the country of issuance Losses could widen if lock- market said. for Japan, South Korea, Germany, the Bahrain (Dinar) ....................................0.3775 will cost the insurance industry Netherlands and the United Kingdom. For downs continue into the next The study undertaken by British pound .....................................$1.2192 over $200 billion, according to nonlocal currency exchange rates (i.e., quarter, which would push the Canada (Dollar) ...................................1.4130 Lloyds assumed social distancing purchasing British pounds in Germany), Lloyds of London, who estimated China (Yuan) ........................................ 7.1002 overall cost to the insurance in- check with your local military banking and lockdown measures through Denmark (Krone) ................................6.9121 that its own payouts are now on facility. Commercial rates are interbank dustry to $203 billion. Unlike the 2020, as well as the forecasts for Egypt (Pound) ....................................15.7390 a par with the Sept. 11, 2001, at- storms, for example, the pandem- Euro ........................................ $1.0790/0.9268 rates provided for reference when buying the drop in gross domestic prod- currency. All figures are foreign currencies tacks or the combined impact of ic’s impact is global, systemic and Hong Kong (Dollar) .............................7.7507 uct globally. Hungary (Forint) .................................328.68 to one dollar, except for the British pound, hurricanes Harvey, Maria and long term. Israel (Shekel) .....................................3.5492 which is represented in dollars-to-pound, Irma in 2017. “Lloyd’s believes that once the “What makes COVID-19 Japan (Yen) ...........................................106.91 and the euro, which is dollars-to-euro.) Lloyds, which as an insurance scale and complexity of the social unique is not just the devastat- Kuwait (Dinar) .....................................0.3094 INTEREST RATES ing continuing human and social Norway (Krone) .................................10.2551 market pays out to insurers af- and economic impact of COVID- Philippines (Peso).................................50.59 Prime rate ................................................3.25 fected by disasters, said it expects 19 is fully understood, the overall impact, but also the economic Poland (Zloty) ..........................................4.24 Discount rate ..........................................0.25 Saudi Arabia (Riyal) ...........................3.7572 Federal funds market rate ...................0.05 to pay between $3 billion and $4.3 cost to the global insurance non- shock.” Lloyd’s Chief Executive Singapore (Dollar) ..............................1.4261 3-month bill ............................................. 0.13 billion to insurance companies to life industry is likely to be far in John Neal said. South Korea (Won) ......................... 1,233.32 30-year bond ...........................................1.35 WEATHER OUTLOOK FRIDAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST FRIDAY IN EUROPE SATURDAY IN THE PACIFIC Misawa 58/50 Kabul 64/50 Seoul 61/57 Baghdad 102/72 Kandahar 86/62 Osan Tokyo Mildenhall/ Drawsko 63/57 63/59 Lakenheath Pomorskie Busan 55/35 52/33 70/60 Iwakuni 64/59 Kuwait Bahrain Zagan Sasebo City 83/75 Brussels 54/39 Guam 96/78 57/38 Ramstein 69/65 84/80 Lajes, 57/32 Riyadh Doha Azores Stuttgart Pápa 98/72 92/62 63/59 57/45 61/49 Aviano/ Vicenza 64/58 Naples 74/65 Okinawa Morón 78/74 69/52 Sigonella Rota 86/59 The weather is provided by the Djibouti Souda Bay American Forces Network Weather Center, 95/80 64/55 75/68 2nd Weather Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. T O D A Y IN STRIPES American Roundup ..... 13 Comics ...................... 17 Crossword ................. 17 Faces ........................ 16 Opinion ................ 18-19 Sports .................. 20-24 Friday, May 15, 2020 •STARS AND STRIPES• PAGE 3 MIDEAST Burials, shock after Afghan hospital attack BY SHARIF HASSAN his child, with his wife by his side. She AND SUSANNAH GEORGE had given birth minutes before the attack, The Washington Post and both she and the baby girl escaped unharmed. KABUL, Afghanistan — Hajar Sarwari “God has given a second life for my wife was in labor with her second child at a and daughter,” he said. western Kabul maternity ward on Tues- In a statement released Wednesday, Doc- day morning when gunmen shot her twice tors Without Borders said it had “indica- in the abdomen, killing her and her unborn tions” that one of its employees was killed child. and that its health workers were following Sarwari’s family buried her atop a hill up with survivors. under overcast skies on the outskirts of the “Every effort is being made by our med- Afghan capital Wednesday morning, one ical team to follow up on the newborns in day after three gunmen killed 24 people the maternity hospital to ensure the best in a Doctors Without Borders maternity possible care to our patients and to those ward. The baby remained in her womb. injured, to provide psychological care to “There’s no humanity left in this coun- affected staff, and to provide every neces- try,” said Sarwari’s husband, Mohammad sary support to those bereaved,” the