The number of U.S. workers applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, according to statistics released by the U.S. Labor Department.
Jobless claims dropped to 202,000 for the week ending Dec. 30. That’s a decline of some 18,000 from the previous week. The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, fell by 4,750 to 207,750.
Overall, 1.86 million Americans were collecting jobless benefits during the week that ended Dec. 23. That’s a drop of some 31,000 from the previous week and the fewest in two months.
Weekly unemployment claims, a proxy for layoffs, have remained at extraordinarily low levels in the face of high interest rates, the Associated Press reported.
