Applications for US jobless aid jump to still low 275,000
WASHINGTON — More Americans sought unemployment aid last week, but the number of applications remains at a low level that suggests companies are still hiring.
THE NUMBERS: Weekly applications for unemployment aid rose 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 275,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That is the highest figure since June.
The number of people receiving benefits ticked up 15,000, to just over 2 million. That’s down 7 per cent from a year earlier.
THE TAKEAWAY: Applications, a proxy for layoffs, have been below 300,000 for 94 straight weeks. That’s the longest streak since 1970.