US Jobless Benefit Claims Drop to New Pandemic Low

WASHINGTON - First-time claims for U.S. unemployment compensation during the 18-month coronavirus pandemic hit a new low last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

A total of 340,000 jobless workers filed for assistance, down 14,000 from the revised figure of the week before. The numbers for the last three weeks have been the lowest since the pandemic swept through the United States in March 2020 but remain well above the 218,000 averages in 2019. The jobless claims total has fallen steadily but unevenly since topping 900,000 in early January. Filings for unemployment compensation have often been seen as a current reading of the country’s economic health, but other statistics are also relevant barometers. The U.S. said last week that its world-leading economy grew by an annualized 6.6% rate in the April-to-June period, slightly faster than the 6.3% figure for the first three months of the year.