Initial jobless claims fell by 67,000 in the week ended Jan. 23 to a total of 847,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the US Department of Labor. However, the four-week moving average of initial claims rose by 16,250 to a total of 868,000.
The Associated Press reported the numbers, though down, remain at historic highs and are a sign that layoffs continue to come as the Covid-19 pandemic rages.
Claims in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program — which includes self-employer workers, among others — fell by 20,472 to a total of 426,856. These numbers are not seasonally adjusted.