WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans applied for jobless aid last week with the number of Americans collecting unemployment at historically low levels.
Applications for unemployment benefits fell by 11,000 to 200,000 for the week ending May 28, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
First-time applications generally track the number of layoffs.
The four-week average for claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, dipped by 500 from the previous week to 206,500.
The total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits for the week ending May 21 fell from the previous week, to 1,309,000, the fewest since Dec. 27, 1969.
American workers are enjoying historically strong job security two years after the coronavirus pandemic plunged the economy into a short but devastating recession.
Weekly applications for unemployment aid have been consistently below the pre-pandemic level of 225,000 for most of 2022, even as the overall economy contracted in the first quarter and concerns over inflation persist.
