The number of Americans applying for unemployment checks dropped last week to the lowest level since March, suggesting that most workers enjoy unusual job security
ByPAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment checks dropped last week to the lowest level since March, suggesting that suggest most workers enjoy unusual job security.
Jobless claims dropped by 9,000 to 211,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which strips out week-to-week ups and downs, fell by 3,500 to 223,250.
The overall numbers receiving unemployment benefits fell by 52,000 to 1.84 million.
The U.S. job market has cooled considerably from the red-hot hiring days of 2021-2023 when the economy was bounding back from COVID-19 lockdowns.
Through November, employers added an average of 180,0