US unemployment claims dipped to 245,000 last week, hovering at historically low levels

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By PAUL WISEMAN
Updated 8:06 AM CDT, June 18, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dipped to 245,000 last week, hovering at historically low levels, the Labor Department said Wednesday.

U.S. jobless claims ticked down from 250,000 the week before. Economists had expected last week’s claims to match that at 250,000.

The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, rose to 245,500, the highest since August 2023.

The number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits the week of June 7 slid to 1.95 million.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/jobs-unemployment-benefits-claims-economy-trump-tariffs-07b68dcba6b42864913e49e6ebdf33b5