The number of new unemployment benefit claims in the United States for last week (March 29 to April 4) increased by 16,000 from the previous week.
The US Department of Labor reported on Wednesday (local time) that initial jobless claims totaled 219,000 last week. This figure is not only 16,000 higher than the previous week but also exceeds the expert forecast of 210,000 compiled by Dow Jones. Continuing claims, which track people who have filed for unemployment benefits for two or more weeks, fell by 38,000 to 1.794 million for the week of March 22-28. This marks the lowest level since May 11, 2024. Bloomberg News noted that with continuing claims remaining at low levels, the US labor market continues to be characterized by both low hiring and low layoffs.
