US jobless claims dip again, layoffs still rare
The latest numbers from the US Labor Department show initial jobless claims dropped to 198,000 last week—down by 9,000. The four-week average also slipped to 205,000.
Continuing claims fell too, staying below 1.9 million.
Even with a slower hiring pace last year and just 584,000 new jobs (the lowest in five years), layoffs remain low and the unemployment rate is steady at 4.4%.
Why does this matter?
If you're watching the economy or thinking about your own job future, this is good news—fewer people are losing jobs even as hiring cools off.
These statistics are among the labor-market measures policymakers will watch ahead of the Federal Reserve's meeting later this month, and could factor into broader economic assessments.
Basically: things are stable for now, but all eyes are on what comes next.