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Norway’s 128% Unemployment Jump Shows Devastating Power of Virus

A doctor performs a test for the novel coronavirus in Sandvika, Norway on March 2.
A doctor performs a test for the novel coronavirus in Sandvika, Norway on March 2.Photographer: Terje Bendiksby/AFP via Getty Images
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The number of Norwegians seeking unemployment benefits jumped by a staggering 128% in just a week as the spread of the coronavirus brings the richest Nordic economy to a near standstill.