US applications for jobless benefits fall for fifth straight week, hitting lowest level since April

Business

US applications for jobless benefits fall for fifth straight week, hitting lowest level since April

Matt Ott

Associated Press Published: July 17, 2025 at 8:44 AM Updated: July 17, 2025 at 9:16 AM Tags: Business A now hiring and help wanted sign is posted in Morrisville, Pa., Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (Matt Rourke, Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

WASHINGTON – The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in three months, a sign that the U.S. labor market remains sturdy despite fears over the impact of widespread U.S. tariffs.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 12 fell by 7,000 to 221,000, the fifth straight weekly