US unemployment claims fall to 376,000, sixth straight drop
A sign announcing they are hiring hangs in the window of a restaurant in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York, Tuesday, May 4, 2021. Some restaurants in New York City are starting to hire employees now that they can increase their indoor dining to 75% of capacity starting May 7.[AP Photo/Mary Altaffer]
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the sixth straight week as the U.S. economy reopens rapidly after being held back for months by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 376,000 from 385,000 the week before.
The number of people signing up for benefits exceeded 900,000 in early January and has fallen more or less steadily ever since.
Still, claims are high by historic standards.
Before the pandemic brought economic activity to a near-standstill in March 2020, weekly applications were regularly coming in below 220,000.