U.S. Jobless Claims Fell to 1.2 Million in Aug. 1 Week

Filings for jobless benefits fell last week to their lowest level since March, a sign layoffs eased somewhat as the labor market tries to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Initial unemployment claims fell by a seasonally adjusted 249,000 to 1.2 million for the week ended Aug. 1, the Labor Department said Thursday. The decline came as an extra $600 a week in pandemic-related unemployment benefits ended.

The number of applications last week was the lowest since the pandemic struck the U.S. Weekly claims figures, however, remain well above the pre-pandemic...