US applications for jobless benefits fall to lowest level since September 2022

By MATT OTT
AP Business Writer

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week fell to its lowest level in more than a year, underscoring the resilience of the labor market amid elevated interest rates. Jobless claim applications fell to 187,000 for the week ending Jan. 13, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s the fewest since September of 2022. Overall, 1.81 million Americans were collecting jobless benefits during the week that ended Jan. 6, a decline of 26,000 from the previous week. Weekly unemployment claims are viewed as representative for the number of U.S. layoffs in a given week.