Jobless claims rise 13K, but still at low levels
The number of people seeking US unemployment benefits rose聽13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 277,000 last week, but the level still indicates employers are cutting relatively few jobs.
The number of people seeking US unemployment benefits rose聽13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 277,000 last week, but the level still indicates employers are cutting relatively few jobs.
聽The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits rose last week, but to a low level that indicates employers are cutting relatively few jobs.
The Labor Department says weekly applications for unemployment aid rose 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 277,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, slipped to 269,250.
Applications are a proxy for layoffs and have remained below 300,000 for 67 straight weeks, the longest such streak since 1973.
A portion of Labor Department's Thursday release on weekly jobless claims is below:
The figures are a reassuring sign that the job market may be healthier than other recent data suggests. Businesses cut back sharply on hiring in April and May. But a low level of applications for聽jobless聽aid is a sign that they aren't laying off workers. A low level of聽claims聽is also consistent with steady hiring over time.