U.S. Jobless Claims Decline for Second Week as Omicron Eases
(Bloomberg) -- Applications for U.S. state unemployment insurance fell for a second week, partially unwinding a recent spike in claims as the omicron wave recedes.
Initial unemployment claims decreased by 23,000 to 238,000 in the week ended Jan. 29, Labor Department data showed Thursday. The median estimate called for 245,000 applications in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
Continuing claims for state benefits fell to 1.63 million in the week ended Jan. 22.
Applications continued to decline after a surge in recent weeks amid an uptick in Covid-19 cases across the country. Claims have largely been falling in the past year, and layoffs are at a record low as companies are desperate to retain and attract talent amid ongoing labor shortages.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/us-jobless-claims-decline-for-second-week-as-omicron-eases/ar-AATr7NV
