Fewer Americans Than Forecast File for Unemployment Benefits
Fewer Americans than forecast filed for unemployment benefits last week, with applications hovering just above a four-decade low, a Labor Department report showed April 13.
Key Points
• Jobless claims decreased by 1,000 to 234,000 (forecast was 245,000) in the week ended April 8.
• The prior week’s reading was revised to 235,000 from 234,000.
• The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits dropped by 7,000 to 2.03 million in the week ended April 1 (data reported with one-week lag).
Big Picture
The current level of claims is the lowest since they reached a 44-year low of 227,000 in the week ended Feb. 25.
Applications for jobless benefits remain firmly entrenched in a downtrend since breaking below the 300,000 level in March 2015, consistent with a tightening labor market that’s put a premium on experienced workers and shows employers are still unwilling to pare headcounts.
Other Details
• Four-week average of initial claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, fell to 247,250 from 250,250 in the prior week.
• The unemployment rate among people eligible for benefits held at 1.5%.
• Louisiana was the only state that estimated claims last week.
• There was nothing unusual in the broader data, according to the Labor Department.
