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Unemployment claims in the United States edged down to 385,000 last week, as workers’ claims for new unemployment benefits settled this summer to a level that is almost double the pre-pandemic average .
The drop in deposits reported by the Labor Ministry on Thursday comes as the economic recovery faces risks from the Covid-19 outbreak driven by the Delta variant, supply chain constraints and a shortage of available workers. The four-week moving average, which dampens the volatility of the weekly numbers, edged down to 394,000.
Continuing demands for regular public programs, which provide a proxy for the number of people receiving benefits, fell from 366,000 to 2.9 million during the week ended July 24, the most recent figures from this reading.
Claims have fluctuated between 368,000 and 424,000 since the end of May, higher than pre-pandemic levels but significantly lower than at the start of the pandemic. The weekly average for 2019, before the pandemic, was 218,000.
The trend, some economists say, could come as the labor market continues to recover from the pandemic and is part of a development where demands remain higher due to greater awareness of insurance programs. unemployment.
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