Pace Eases for Unemployment Claims, Benefits Distributions

U.S. workers filed 2.1 million jobless claims last week, extending a downward trend but remaining multiple times higher than before the coronavirus pandemic.

The Labor Department’s tally of filings for unemployment benefits was down compared with 2.4 million the prior week. Weekly unemployment claims—a proxy for layoffs—have held above 2 million jobs since mid-March, breaking records dating back to the late 1960s.

The number of workers initially seeking jobless benefits peaked at a seasonally adjusted 6.9 million for the week ended March 28, and has eased since to around 2.5...