U.S. Jobless Claims Inch Up While Benefit Rolls Lowest Since '73
U.S. filings for unemployment insurance crept higher.
(Bloomberg) -- U.S. filings for unemployment insurance crept higher while the number of Americans on benefit rolls fell to the lowest level since 1973 in another indication of a tight job market, Labor Department figures showed Thursday.
Highlights of Jobless Claims (Week Ended March 17) |
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Key Takeaways
The U.S. labor picture remains solid, with filings for benefits holding well below the 300,000 level each week that analysts consider healthy. Federal Reserve policy makers on Wednesday projected lower unemployment rates in the coming years than in their previous round of forecasts in December, and new Chairman Jerome Powell said the job market “remains strong.”
Other Details
- Prior week’s initial claims reading unrevised at 226,000
- Unemployment rate among people eligible for benefits unchanged at 1.3 percent
- Colorado and Maine had estimated claims last week, according to the Labor Department
--With assistance from Chris Middleton
To contact the reporter on this story: Katia Dmitrieva in Washington at edmitrieva1@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Scott Lanman at slanman@bloomberg.net, Vince Golle
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