Weekly U.S. Jobless Claims Up, But Remain Historically Low

Fewer than 1.6 million Americans were collecting jobless aid the week that ended Feb. 5.

Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose last week but remain near historically low levels, reflecting relatively few layoffs across the economy.

Jobless claims rose by 23,000 to 248,000 for the week ending Feb. 12, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Claims were revised upward to 225,000 the previous week.

Yet the four-week average for claims, which compensates for weekly volatility, fell by 10,500 to 243,250. It was the second straight week of declines after rising for five straight weeks as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus spread, disrupting business in many parts of the U.S.