3.2M workers remain on jobless benefits as weekly claims jump to 419K

More than 3.2 million Americans remained on traditional state unemployment benefits as the number of people seeking new claims leaped last week above 400,000 again, the feds said Thursday.

Continuing claims fell by about 29,000 from over 3.25 million the week before, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department. That figure stood at around 16 million at the same time last year, in the thick of the pandemic. Continuing claims have fallen significantly since peaks seen in 2020, but the figure remains about twice as high as pre-pandemic levels.