US weekly unemployment claims fall to 206,000, remain historically low
Business
Unemployment claims in the US dropped to 206,000 last week, down from 212,000 before.
Even with a tiny bump in the four-week average, numbers are still hanging out in that historically low 200,000 to 230,000 range we've seen over the past year.
So despite some economic uncertainty, things haven't gone off the rails.
US job market steady at 4.1%
The job market is steady: unemployment is at 4.1%, and layoffs are rare: just 23,000 people lost jobs in July.
But companies aren't rushing to hire either; this year's monthly hiring average (61,000) is much lower than during the post-pandemic boom.
Economists call it a "no hire, no fire" vibe: businesses want to hold onto their workers but aren't expanding fast.