US labour market shows ongoing weakness

The number of US workers applying for state unemployment benefits fell last week but the labour market remains soft, the US government…

The number of US workers applying for state unemployment benefits fell last week but the labour market remains soft, the US government reported.

First-time jobless claims fell by 55,000 to a seasonally adjusted 438,000 for the week ended April 6th, the Labour Department said.

But although claims decreased last week, the level remained well above Wall Street's expectations and reflected a pickup over the past few weeks in applications for extended unemployment benefits.

The four-week moving average, a more reliable measure of employment conditions because it irons out weekly variations, rose to 433,750, the highest level since December of last year.

In further evidence of a weak labour market, the number of workers remaining on unemployment aid rose to a seasonally adjusted 3.78 million for the week ended March 30th, the highest level recorded in 19 years.

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