astronomical?

That's the headline in the C-J today, describing the number of people seeking unemployment payments from the government and taxpayers.

What would they have said in the 1970s and 1980s-- or the 1930s?

In the 1970s and 1980s, we had grown used to much worse numbers. But to many people, this current situation seems worse in comparison to recent employment numbers-- and in light of broader fears about the economy.