U.S. initial unemployment claims saw an increase last week, suggesting a consistent yet slightly elevated level. The Labor Department reported a rise of 20,000 jobless claims for the week ending July 13, reaching 243,000 compared to the previous week’s 223,000. Despite a decline the week before, the total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits went up by about 20,000 to 1.87 million for the week ending July 6. This marks the highest number since November of 2021. Weekly unemployment claims are a key indicator of job layoffs and the labor market’s stability.
