Jobless claims rose by 11,000 to 227,000 for the week ending March 5, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Employers manned booths with banners promoting their companies benefits, free logo branded swag and listed salary pay scales and in some cases recruitment bonuses in order to entice job applicants to approach their booths during the Lee County Area Job Fair in Tupelo, Miss., Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. The number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits fell to a 52-year low after another decline in jobless aid applications last week.
Last week, the government reported that employers added a robust 678,000 jobs in February, the largest monthly total since July. The unemployment rate dropped to 3.8%, from 4% in January, extending a sharp decline in joblessness to its lowest level since before the pandemic erupted two years ago.At the other end of the equation, U.S. businesses posted a near-record level of open jobs in January. That trend has helped pad workers’ pay and added to inflationary pressures.
The number of people quitting their jobs slipped to 4.25 million, down from 4.4 million, though January’s figure is still 23% above pre-pandemic levels. Millions of people are jumping to switch jobs, often for higher pay.