A hiring sign seeking bus drivers stands in Palatine, Ill., Wednesday, April 19, 2023. On Thursday, the Labor Department reports on the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
By Matt Ott
Applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. fell last week as the labor market continues to show strength despite some weakness in other parts of the economy.
The number of Americans filing for jobless claims for the week ending April 22 fell by 16,000 to 230,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
The four-week moving average of claims, which flattens some of the week-to-week volatility, fell by 6,000 to 236,000. At the start of the year, weekly claims were running around 200,000 and they have gradually moved higher.
The weekly claims numbers are a proxy for layoffs, and continue to show that American workers are enjoying unusual job security despite rising interest rates, economic uncertainty and fears of a looming recession.
Overall, 1.86 million people were collecting unemployment benefits the week that ended April 15, 3,000 fewer than the previous week.
Sola Mahfouz and Malaina Kapoor, authors of 'Defiant Dreams: The Journey of an Afghan Girl Who Risked Everything for Education' discuss how Sola overcame the Taliban to get an education.
Pittsburgh International Airport CEO, Christina Cassotis talks the airport’s upcoming upgrades and why you can’t count out business travel, even in a post-pandemic world.
Fresh off of speaking at the UN, Amalya Yeghoyan, Executive Director of FAR’s Gyumri Information Technology Center, discusses her work to empower women through tech.
Veetahl Eilat-Raichel, Founder and CEO of Sorbet, shares how employees can harness the value of their time off – and how companies can use PTO to employees’ benefit.