Holiday hiring sign is displayed at a retail store in Vernon Hills, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the seventh straight week to a pandemic low 268,000. U.S. jobless claims dipped by 1,000 last week from the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday, Nov. 18. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Unemployment Benefits
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jobless claims are down again, for the seventh week in a row. The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a pandemic low of 268,000 last week. U.S. jobless claims dipped by 1,000 last week from the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
The applications for unemployment aid are a proxy for layoffs, and their steady decline this year — after topping 900,000 one week in early January — reflects the labor market’s strong recovery from last year’s brief but intense coronavirus recession. The four-week average of claims, which smooths week-to-week volatility, also fell to a pandemic low just below 273,000.
Jobless claims have been edging lower, toward their pre-pandemic level of around 220,000 a week.
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