U.S. jobless claims down 24,000 to 400,000 as economy recovers

August 5, 2021 ☼ economypandemic

Source: POLITICO - Link

The number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits slid last week, another sign that the job market continues to recover rapidly from the coronavirus recession.

Jobless claims dropped by 24,000 to 400,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The weekly applications have fallen more or less steadily this year — from a peak of 904,000 in early to January. But they remain high by historic standards: Before COVID struck the United States in March 2020, claims were coming in at about 220,000 a week.

Recovery is going to be jerky and will have setbacks. Nothing is smooth with COVID.