The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week as the U.S. labor market remains healthy in the face of high interest rates. Jobless claims ticked down by 2,000 to 231,000 for the week of Aug. 24, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s just below the 232,000 new filings analysts were expecting. The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, fell by 4,750 to 231,500. Weekly filings for unemployment benefits, which are considered a proxy for layoffs, remain low by historic standards. They have ticked up in recent months though.
Quick Read
- The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week, indicating a still-strong U.S. labor market despite high interest rates.
- Jobless claims decreased by 2,000 to 231,000 for the week ending Aug. 24, just below analysts’ expectations of 232,000.
- The four-week average of claims, which smooths out volatility, dropped by 4,750 to 231,500.
- Weekly unemployment filings, a proxy for layoffs, remain low historically but have increased slightly since May.
- Employers added only 114,000 jobs in July, a significant decrease from the January-June average of nearly 218,000 per month, with the unemployment rate rising for four consecutive months to 4.3%.
- A recent Labor Department report revealed that 818,000 fewer jobs were created between April 2023 and March 2024 than initially reported, suggesting a cooling job market.
- The Federal Reserve raised interest rates 11 times in 2022 and 2023 to combat high inflation, which is now nearing the Fed’s 2% target.
- Economists widely expect the Fed to begin cutting rates at its next meeting in September as inflation comes under control.
- The total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits rose by 13,000 to 1.87 million for the week of Aug. 17.
The Associated Press has the story:
Fewer Americans file for jobless claims as US labor market continues to defy elevated interest rates
Newslooks- (AP)
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week as the U.S. labor market remains healthy in the face of high interest rates. Jobless claims ticked down by 2,000 to 231,000 for the week of Aug. 24, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s just below the 232,000 new filings analysts were expecting.
The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, fell by 4,750 to 231,500. Weekly filings for unemployment benefits, which are considered a proxy for layoffs, remain low by historic standards. They have ticked up in recent months though.
From January through May, claims averaged a paltry 213,000 a week. But they started rising in May, hitting 250,000 in late July and adding to evidence that high interest rates were finally cooling a red-hot U.S. job market. Employers added just 114,000 jobs in July, well below the January-June monthly average of nearly 218,000. The unemployment rate rose for the fourth straight month in July, though it remains low at 4.3%.
Last week, the Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy added 818,000 fewer jobs from April 2023 through March this year than were originally reported. The revised total supports evidence that the job market has been steadily slowing and likely reinforces the Federal Reserve’s plan to start cutting interest rates soon.
The Fed, in an attempt to stifle inflation that hit a four-decade high just over two years ago, raised its benchmark interest rate 11 times in 2022 and 2023. That pushed it to a 23-year high, where it has stayed for more than a year.
Inflation has retreated steadily, approaching the Fed’s 2% target and leading Fed Chair Jerome Powell to declare last week that it was largely under control. Most economists expect the Fed to begin cutting rates at its next meeting in September. The total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits rose by 13,000 to 1.87 million for the week of Aug. 17.
