Jobless Claims Rise as Layoffs Remain Elevated

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits increased again last week, indicating a stabilization at a slightly higher, but still healthy, level.

The Labor Department reported on Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 13 climbed by 20,000 to 243,000, up from 223,000 the previous week.

The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits rose following a decrease the previous week, marking the first decline in 10 weeks.

For the week ending July 6, approximately 1.87 million Americans were collecting jobless benefits, a rise of about 20,000 from the previous week. This is the highest figure since November 2021.

Weekly unemployment claims are widely seen as a barometer of layoffs.