Jobless Claims Fall to Another Pandemic Low

The number of Americans who filed jobless claims last week fell to 473,000, a new low during the COVID-19 pandemic as businesses reopen and fewer employers are cutting jobs. The number remains more than twice as high as it was before the pandemic. Though job openings are at a record 8.1 million and nearly 10 million people are officially unemployed, companies are struggling to find employees. Economists cite several factors keeping workers at home, including expanded $300 unemployment benefits, individuals’ fear of contracting the virus, and child-care burdens due to school closures. Those constraints could ease in the hall as supplemental jobless benefits end and more schools reopen.