U.S. Jobless Claims Down 14K to 385K in July 31 Week
August 05 2021 - 9:07AM
Dow Jones News
By Bryan Mena
U.S. jobless claims fell slightly to 385,000 last week, as
worker filings for new unemployment benefits settled this summer at
a level that is nearly double the pre-pandemic average.
The decrease in filings reported by the Labor Department on
Thursday comes as the economic recovery faces risks from the
Covid-19 surge driven by the Delta variant, supply-chain
constraints and a shortage of available workers. The four-week
moving average, which smooths out volatility in the weekly figures
slightly decreased to 394,000.
Continuing claims for regular state programs, which provides an
approximation of the number of people receiving benefits, dropped
by 366,000 to 2.9 million in the week ended July 24, the most
recent figures for that reading.
Claims have hovered between 368,000 and 424,000 since late May,
elevated above pre-pandemic levels but significantly lower than
early in the pandemic. The 2019 weekly average, ahead of the
pandemic, was 218,000.
Write to Bryan Mena at bryan.mena@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 05, 2021 09:07 ET (13:07 GMT)
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