US Jobless Claims Rose to 412,000 Last Week

Applications for U.S. state unemployment insurance rose slightly for the first time since late April, likely a temporary blip for a labor market that’s otherwise improving as the economy reopens.

Initial claims in regular state programs increased by 37,000 to 412,000 in the week ended June 12, Labor Department data showed Thursday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 360,000 applications.

The jump in claims was concentrated in three states -- Pennsylvania, California and Kentucky. Even with the increase, layoffs have declined significantly in recent months as...

Worker filings for initial unemployment benefits rose by 37,000 to 412,000 last week, marking the first increase since late April and pausing what had been a steady downward trend in filings.

The increase was the biggest jump since late March, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised slightly to 375,000.

The four-week moving average, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, reached a new pandemic low of 395,000. This is the lowest average level since March 2020, when the pandemic first took hold in the U.S.

The latest...