Nearly US$3T is needed this quarter for rescue aid
Economists had expected an even bigger drop
The March decline was surpassed only by an 18.4% drop in August 2014
About 26 million people in the U.S. have applied for jobless aid since the outbreak
The extension request must be filed by July 15
Some economists say the nation's unemployment rate could approach 13% by May
The Senate is likely to pass the $2 billion measure Wednesday afternoon
The U.S. added 273,000 jobs last month
The Fed has pledged to support the economy, but it’s unclear what benefit a rate cut would provide
Consumer spending increased 0.2% last month