Jobs
US Jobless Claims Show Businesses Reluctant to Lay Off Workers
- Applications ticked up to 216,000, still historically low
- Continuing claims edged lower, breaking from steady climb
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Applications for US unemployment benefits were little changed last week, remaining near a historically low level, underscoring businesses’ reluctance to lay off workers in a supply-constrained labor market.
Initial unemployment claims increased by 2,000 to 216,000 in the week ended Dec. 17, Labor Department data showed Thursday. The median forecast was for 222,000 applications.