New U.S. jobless claims decline to 375,000, falling for the third straight week

According to data released Thursday morning by the U.S. Department of Labor, new weekly unemployment claims for the first week of August fell by 12,000 to a total of 375,000.

The early August numbers mark the third straight week that jobless claims have fallen. The most recent report follows the July numbers, which reflected larger-than-anticipated gains in employment. July was also characterized by a record number of open jobs.

The national expanded unemployment benefits program is also set to expire next month, though some states have already ended their expanded programs. 

The continuing jobless number also appears to be on the decline, falling during the last week of July to 2.866 million, the lowest reported figure since prior to March 2020.