For another week, claims were nearly four times higher than in the same period last year, before the pandemic brought the country to a standstill. It reiterates that job recovery is not good, as we have hit the US almost one year since the pandemic.
It was still a significant decline in claims from the previous week and the first drop below the 800,000 mark since the beginning of the month. Last week’s claim figure was revised to 812 000, which was still several times the number during the same period last year.
In addition to ordinary unemployment benefits, 348,912 workers applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which is available to people such as the self-employed or gig workers.
1.2 million workers filed claims for benefits for the first time without adjusting to the seasonal swing. That was a modest improvement from the previous week, with about 78,200 fewer claims.
Continued claims, which count people who have provided assistance for at least two consecutive weeks, stand at 4.6 million. It was lower than 4.8 million.
There have been virtually improvements in almost every category of benefits. Overall, 17.8 million Americans received some form of government assistance in the week ended January 16th.
Only one category increased that week: federal employees and workers receiving extended benefits after having the other benefits available.