U.S. jobless claims increase slight to 373,000, from a pandemic low

The number of federal first-time unemployment claims increased by 2,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The number of claims for the week ending July 3 was 375,000 – from over 900,000 at the start of the year. The increase comes amid a steady decline in claims as the pandemic wanes and the U.S. economy improves.

The four-week average of applications is now 394,500 – the lowest such level since the pandemic started in March 2020, according to the Associated Press.