The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits was unchanged at low levels last week, pointing to continued labor market strength. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits were unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 212,

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as the labor market continues to hold up despite higher interest rates imposed by the Federal Reserve in its bid to curb inflation. The Labor Department reported Thursday that unemployment claims for the week ending April 20 fell by 5,

Initial jobless claims fell by 5,000 to 207,000 in the week ended April 20, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The so-called continuing claims data covered the period during which the government surveyed households for April's unemployment rate. Continuing claims fell between the March and April survey periods. The unemployment rate slipped to 3.8% in March from 3.9% in February.

The four-week moving average, which aims to smooth out some of the volatility in the figures from one week to the next, was also steady, at 214,500. Secondary unemployment claims, which are those not being filed for the the first time and referencing the week that ended on 6 April edged up by just 2,000 to 1.812m.

Applications for US unemployment benefits reached the lowest level since last February in the week ended April 20. Labor Department data showed

The U.S. central bank has kept its policy rate in the 5.25%-5.50% range since July. It has raised the benchmark overnight interest rate by 525 basis points since March of 2022

Initial jobless claims for the week ended April 20 fell by 5K to 207K, trailing the 214K expected, from 212K in the previous week (unrevised). The four-week moving average was 213,250, down from the prior week's unrevised average of 214,