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.
Chris Lafakis, Director at Moody's Analytics, discusses how home insurance may change as a result of the devastation in California brought on by the LA fires.
Brian Rosen, Founder and CEO of InvestBev, discusses what the Surgeon General’s new Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk means for the adult beverage business.
Damage from the Los Angeles inferno is setting records—and it's not over. Plus, rate-cut drama, the battle over Greenland, and Zuckerberg bends the knee.
Watch Duty CEO, John Mills, talks to Cheddar about how the app works, how it helps people in real time and how people can donate to help those affected.
JP Richardson, CEO at Exodus, discusses bringing Exodus public, his thoughts on the future of crypto markets, and tips to take the first steps into the space.
Jonathan Alter, journalist and author, discusses Trump's threats to take back the Panama Canal, unraveling foreign policy work done by Jimmy Carter in 1978.