US jobless claims at 52-year low amid seasonal volatility

By PAUL WISEMAN
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plunged last week to the lowest level in 52 years, more evidence that the U.S. job market is recovering from last year’s coronavirus recession. Unemployment claims dropped by 43,000 to 184,000 last week, the lowest since September 1968, the Labor Department said Thursday. The four-week moving average, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, fell to below 219,000, lowest since the pandemic hit the United States hard in March 2020. Overall, just under 2 million Americans were collecting traditional unemployment benefits the week that ended Nov. 27.