U.S. applications for unemployment benefits edged down modestly last week, according to the Labor Department, with the number of new claims landing at 209,000 for the week ending Jan. 24. While the decrease was small, the claims level remained in what the government data and analysts have treated as a healthy range for layoffs, even as Americans see a steady drumbeat of corporate job cuts.
The Labor Department said new applications fell by 1,000 to 209,000 from the previous week’s figure. The agency also noted that the prior week’s number was revised upward by 10,000, a change that affects how the week-to-week movement is read.
Thursday’s report also showed that the four-week average of jobless claims rose by 2,250 to 206,250. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected 205,000 new applications, according to the report.
In addition to the weekly flow of new claims, the Labor Department reported that the total number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the previous week ending Jan. 17 fell by 38,000 to 1.83 million. The department said that level was the fewest since Sept. 21, 2024.
A separate government update also pointed to a labor market that has been cooling without breaking, with unemployment slipping in the prior month to 4.4%, its first decline since June. The Labor Department said the job-creation numbers were mixed and subject to revisions, and it reported employers added 50,000 jobs last month, after a downwardly revised 56,000 in November.
In the broader context, the report framed the slowdown against a backdrop of weak employment gains over the past year, with recent high-profile layoffs from companies including UPS, Amazon and Dow. The Labor Department’s own data showing hiring remained tepid in December helped reinforce concerns that