Unemployment Claims Rise, But Layoffs Still Low

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week, but layoffs remain historically low and the job market broadly healthy.

Applications for jobless benefits rose by 14,000 for the week ending January 11, the Labor Department said Thursday, up from the previous week’s 203,000. The previous week's figure was the lowest since February of last year.

The four-week average of claims, which softens some of the week-to-week volatility, dipped by 750 to 212,750.

The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of January 4 fell to by 18,000 to 1.86 million.

Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs.

Though some signs of labor market weakness surfaced in 2024, jobs are still plentiful and layoffs historically low.

Last week, the Labor Department reported that job growth in December surged and unemployment fell. Employers added 256,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1%.

The final jobs report of 2024 underscores that the economy and hiring were able to grow at a solid pace even with interest rates much higher than they were before the pandemic. As a result, the Federal Reserve could be much less likely to cut borrowing costs again in the coming months after issuing three cuts late in 2024.

Overall, the solid jobs figures suggest the economy is entering a post-COVID period of steady growth, higher interest rates, low unemployment, and slightly elevated inflation.

Also last week, the government reported that U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in November, showing companies are still looking for workers even as the labor market has loosened. Openings rose to 8.1 million in November, the most since February and up from 7.8 million in October,