The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits slipped last week as the U.S. labor market remained resilient.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims fell by 5,000, to 238,000, from a 10-month high of 243,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which evens out weekly ups and downs, rose by 5,500 to 232,750, the highest since September.
Weekly unemployment claims—a proxy for layoffs—remain at low levels by historical standards, a sign that most Americans enjoy unusual job security. Still, after mostly staying below 220,000 this year, weekly claims have moved up recently.
“Layoffs are still low overall suggesting businesses remain reluctant to reduce headcount in large numbers,’’ says Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.
Farooqi says there has been a gradual increase in recent weeks, however, that merits watching.
Nearly 1.83 million people were collecting unemployment benefits the week of June 8, up by 15,000 from the week before and the seventh straight weekly uptick.
In Louisiana, unemployment aid applications picked up for the week ending June 8. There were 2,193 unemployment insurance claims filed in Louisiana for the week ending June 8, up more than 7% from the previous week’s 2,043 claims.  Â
