Fewer Americans are applying for unemployment benefits as layoffs ease

The number of U.S. workers filing for jobless aid fell to another pandemic-era low last week, a sign the economy continues to strengthen.

Some 498,000 people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said. That's a drop of 92,000 from the prior week and the lowest weekly number since March 14, 2020. Another 101,000 people applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), a federal program for self-employed and gig workers. "The good news is coming from all sides, with both regular initial claims and PUA initial claims declining. Both are now at their respective lows since the start of the pandemic," AnnElizabeth Konkel, economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, said in a report.