Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 6
US Jobless Claims Rise to 199,000 as June Hiring Slows to 57,000
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 6

US Jobless Claims Rise to 199,000 as June Hiring Slows to 57,000

3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 6

Summary

  • 199,000 Americans filed new jobless claims in the week ended Aug. 1, up 1,000 from the prior week, keeping layoffs in a historically low range.
  • 198,750 was the four-week average after a 4,500 drop, but the labor market is softening through slower hiring rather than broad-based job cuts.
  • 57,000 jobs were added in June, less than half May’s pace, while the unemployment rate dipped to 4.2% largely because some job seekers stopped looking.
  • 3.7% PCE inflation in June remains above the Fed’s 2% target, leaving open the risk of higher rates that could further restrain hiring ahead of Friday’s July jobs report.

Insights

Is the current lack of layoffs a sign of economic strength, or are companies quietly hoarding workers before a major crash?
Why are wages still surging for job-changers even as companies freeze hiring and the labor force mysteriously shrinks?
Are outdated inflation metrics for AI and software secretly tricking the Federal Reserve into keeping interest rates dangerously high?