Unemployment Claims Archives - The Michigan Star

Jobless Claims Fall to Lowest Level in over 50 Years

March 26, 2022March 25, 2022 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims decreased to 187,000 in the week ending March 19, the lowest level in over 50 years, the Department of Labor announced Thursday.

The Labor Department’s figure showed a decrease of 28,000 compared to the week ending March 12, when new claims numbered 215,000, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This week’s claims were well below the predictions of economists surveyed by Bloomberg, who estimated that new claims would total 210,000.

Michigan Job Recovery Ranks Near Bottom of National List

March 14, 2022March 13, 2022 The Center Square

Job recovery in Michigan continues to rank among the worst in the country, according to a recently released report.

Michigan had the sixth-largest number of claims filed last week compared to 2019. The report, published by the personal finance website WalletHub, also ranks Michigan 47th in biggest increase in number of unemployment insurance initial claims in the week of Feb. 28, 2022 compared to the week of March 1, 2020. Only Kentucky (48); New Jersey (49); Kansas (50); and District of Columbia (51) fared worse.

Jobless Claims Decrease as Labor Market Recovers Despite Surging COVID-19 Cases

January 30, 2022January 30, 2022 Admin

Photo “Unemployment Insurance Claims Office” by Bytemarks. CC BY 2.0.

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims decreased to 260,000 in the week ending Jan. 22 as the tight labor market continues to show signs of strength despite surging cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

The Labor Department figure shows a 30,000 claim decrease compared to the week ending. Jan 15 when claims increased to 286,000. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimated that new jobless claims would fall by just 21,000 to 265,000.

Jobless Claims Soar Past Economists’ Projections

January 23, 2022January 23, 2022 Admin

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims increased to 286,000 in the week ending Jan. 15, as the labor market continues to recover after surging COVID-19 cases.

The Labor Department figure shows a 55,000 claim increase compared to the week ending Jan. 8 when claims increased to 231,000. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected claims would decrease to 225,000, MarketWatch reported.

Jobless Claims Increase to 230,000

January 16, 2022 Admin

The number of Americans who filed for new unemployment claims increased to 230,000 in the week ending Jan. 8 as rising COVID-19 cases continue to put pressure on employers.

The Labor Department figure shows a 23,000 claim increase compared to the week ending Jan. 1, when jobless claims increased to 207,000. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected claims would decrease to 200,000.

Jobless Claims Jump to 207,000, Higher Than Anticipated

January 9, 2022January 8, 2022 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims increased to 207,000 in the week ending Jan. 1 as workers seek more attractive positions with better pay and Omicron coronavirus variant cases surge.

The Labor Department figure shows a 7,000 claim increase compared to the week ending Dec. 25, when claims reached a revised level of 200,000. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal projected claims would decrease to 195,000.

Jobless Claims Remain Near 52-Year Low

January 2, 2022January 2, 2022 Admin

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims decreased to 198,000 in the week ending Dec. 25 as employers continue to fight to retain workers amid a tight labor market and growing Omicron coronavirus variant concerns.

The Labor Department figure shows an 8,000 claim decrease compared to the week ending Dec.18, when claims reached a revised level of 206,000. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal projected claims remain near last week’s reported level of 205,000.

Jobless Claims Remain Near Record Lows

December 25, 2021December 24, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims totaled 205,000 in the week ending Dec. 18, a new post-pandemic low.

The Labor Department figure shows an unchanged amount of claims from the previous week ending Dec. 11. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimated that claims would remain around last week’s reported level of 206,000, just above the lowest number in 52 years.

Jobless Claims Rise from a 52-Year Low

December 17, 2021December 16, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims totaled 206,000 in the week ending Dec. 11 as the tight labor market continues to recover, though it remains far from pre-pandemic levels.

The Labor Department figure shows an 18,000 claim increase compared to the week ending Dec. 4 when jobless claims reached 184,000. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal projected claims to increase to just 195,000 from the previous week’s figure.

Jobless Claims Decrease to a 52-Year Low

December 10, 2021December 9, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims totaled 184,000 in the week ending on Dec. 4 as employers fight to retain workers during the busy holiday season, the Department of Labor reported.

The Labor Department figure shows a 43,000 claim decrease compared to the week ending Nov 27, when jobless claims increased to 220,000. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal projected claims to decrease to 211,000 for the week ending Dec. 4. This latest report brings the number of weekly jobless claims to a 52-year low, the fewest since September 1969, CNBC reported.

Jobless Claims Increase as Employers Fight to Keep Workers

December 3, 2021December 2, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims totaled 220,000 in the week ending on Nov. 27 as employers fight to retain workers heading into the holiday season, the Department of Labor reported.

The Labor Department figure shows a 28,000 claim increase compared to the number from the week ending on Nov. 20, when jobless claims dropped to a 52 year low of 199,000.

Jobless Claims Drop by 71,000, Far Exceeding Experts’ Projections

November 25, 2021November 25, 2021 Admin

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims decreased to 199,000 in the week ending on Nov. 20, reaching its lowest level in over 52 years.

The Labor Department figure shows a 71,000 claim decrease compared to the number of new claims filed in the week ending on Nov. 13, when jobless claims dropped to a revised 270,000. Wednesday’s report crushed the Dow Jones estimate of 260,000, CNBC reported.

Weekly Jobless Claims Drop to New Pandemic Low

November 11, 2021 Admin

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims decreased to 267,000 in the week ending Nov. 6 as the labor market continues to improve, the Department of Labor reported Wednesday.

The Labor Department figure shows a 4,000 claim decrease compared to the week ending on Oct. 30, when jobless claims dropped to a revised 271,000. Wednesday’s release marks the lowest number of initial claims since March 14, 2020, when new jobless claims were 256,000.

Jobless Claims Drop to 269,000, a Post COVID-19 Low

November 5, 2021November 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans who filed for new unemployment claims decreased to 269,000 in the week ending Oct. 30 as the labor market continues to improve and the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday shows a 14,000 claim decrease compared to the week ending Oct. 23, when jobless claims dropped to 283,000. Thursday’s release marks the lowest number of initial claims since March 14, 2020, when the number of new jobless claims was 256,000.

Jobless Claims Drop to 281,000 Holding Near Last Weeks Lower Levels

October 29, 2021October 28, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims decreased to 281,000 last week as employers compete for workers in a tight labor market where inflation and supply chain disruptions plague the country.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday shows a 10,000 claim decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Oct. 23 when jobless claims dropped to 290,000. This is the lowest level for initial claims since March 14, when jobless claims dropped to 256,000.

Weekly Jobless Claims Drop to 290,000

October 22, 2021October 21, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans who filed new unemployment claims decreased to 290,000 last week as employers attempt to hold onto workers amid struggles with inflation, supply chain disruptions and labor shortages.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday shows a 6,000 claim decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending on Oct. 9, when jobless claims dipped below 300,000 for the first time since March 2020.

Weekly Jobless Claims Dip Below 300,000 for First Time Since March 2020

October 15, 2021October 14, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 293,000 last week as companies are holding onto workers amid high demand for labor.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday shows a 36,000 claim decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Oct. 2, when 326,000 jobless claims were reported.

Jobless Claims Drop to 326,000

October 8, 2021October 7, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 326,000 last week as the economy continues to slowly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic-related unemployment benefits wind down.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday shows a 38,000 claim decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Oct. 2, when 364,000 jobless claims were reported.

Jobless Claims Increase to 351,000 as Economic Recovery Slows

September 24, 2021 Admin

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 351,000 last week as the economy continues to slowly recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday represents an increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Sept. 11, when 335,000 new jobless claims were reported. That figure was revised up from the 332,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Tick Up to 332,000, Remain Near Pandemic Low

September 17, 2021September 16, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 332,000 last week as the economy continues to slowly recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday represents an increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Sept. 4, when 312,000 new jobless claims were reported. That figure was revised slightly up from the 310,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Plummet to 310,000 as Workers Brush Off Delta Concerns

September 10, 2021September 9, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 310,000 last week as the economy continues to slowly recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday represents a substantial decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Aug. 28, when 345,000 new jobless claims were reported. That figure was revised up from the 340,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Climb with Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Set to Expire

August 27, 2021August 26, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 353,000 last week as the economy continues its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics figure released Thursday presents a slight increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Aug. 14, when 349,000 new jobless claims were reported. The Aug. 7 to Aug. 14 figure was revised from the 348,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Joblessness Continues Downward Trend

August 21, 2021August 20, 2021 The Center Square

The latest federal jobs report shows a dip in new unemployment claims, but those figures still remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.

The Department of Labor reported Thursday that 348,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week. That number is the lowest since March 2020.

Jobless Claims Fall Below 400,000, Hit Economists’ Expectations

August 6, 2021August 5, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 385,000 last week as the economy continues its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a slight decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending July 24, when 399,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised down from the 400,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Surge Past 400,000, Far Higher Than Economists’ Expectations

July 23, 2021July 22, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 419,000 last week as the economy continues its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a large increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending July 10, when 368,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 360,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Decrease to 360,000, Hit Pandemic Low

July 16, 2021July 15, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 360,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a slight increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending July 3, when 386,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 373,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Maryland Announces over 500,000 New Potentially Fraudulent Unemployment Claims Since May

June 28, 2021June 27, 2021 Admin

Maryland officials say they suspect over 508,000 new, potentially fraudulent unemployment claims have been filed since May.

The announcement Monday followed the state saying it has verified over 1.3 million fraudulent claims since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic.

The most common means of filing a fraudulent claim is identity theft, according to CNN.

Jobless Claims Increase to 412,000, Above Economists’ Projections

June 18, 2021June 17, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 412,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented an increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending June 5, when 375,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised down from the 376,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Drop to 376,000, Hit Another Pandemic Low

June 11, 2021June 10, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 376,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending May 29, when 385,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was unrevised from the figure initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Drop Below 400,000, Hit Another Pandemic Low

June 4, 2021June 3, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 385,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending May 22, when 405,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised down from the 406,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Drop to 406,000, Yet Another Pandemic Low

May 28, 2021May 27, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 406,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending May 15, when 444,000 new jobless claims were reported. Economists expected Thursday’s jobless claims number to come in at 425,000, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Michigan New Unemployment Claims Dropped 2,727 Last Week

May 28, 2021May 27, 2021 The Center Square

Michigan reported 11,079 new unemployment claims for the week ending May 22, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s latest unemployment figures released Thursday.

The DOL notes 2,727 fewer Michigan workers filed for unemployment last week than the previous week’s 3,582 new claims.

Jobless Claims Hit Fresh Pandemic Low as Americans Return to Work

May 21, 2021May 20, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 444,000 last week as the economy continues to slowly recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending May 8, when 478,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 473,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Fall to 498,000, Hit New Pandemic Low Once Again

May 7, 2021May 6, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped sharply to 498,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a large decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending April 24, when 590,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 553,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Fall to 553,000, Hit New Pandemic Low

April 30, 2021April 29, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 553,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending April 17, when 566,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 547,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Hit New Pandemic Low as Americans Return to Work

April 23, 2021April 22, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 547,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending April 10, when 586,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 576,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Drop to 576,000, Lowest Level Since March 2020

April 16, 2021April 16, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 576,000 last week as the economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a large decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending April 3, when 769,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 744,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Increase to 744,000 as Economy Continues Slow Recovery

April 9, 2021April 8, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 744,000 last week as the economy continues to slowly recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented an increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending March 27, when 728,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 719,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

Jobless Claims Plummet to 684,000 in Latest Sign of Economic Recovery

March 26, 2021March 25, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped to 684,000 last week as the economy continued to slowly recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a large decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending March 13, when 781,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 770,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

New Jobless Claims Increase to 770,000, Above Economist Projections

March 19, 2021March 18, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 770,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented an increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending March 6, when 725,000 new jobless claims were reported. That number was revised up from the 712,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

New Jobless Claims Drop Slightly to 712,000

March 12, 2021March 11, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased slightly to 712,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Feb. 27, in which there were 754,000 new jobless claims reported. That number was revised up from the 745,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

New Jobless Claims Increase Slightly to 745,000

March 5, 2021March 4, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased slightly to 745,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented an increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Feb. 20, in which there were 736,000 new jobless claims reported. That number was revised up from the 730,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

New Jobless Claims Decrease to 730,000, Economists Expected 845,000

February 26, 2021February 25, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 730,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Feb. 13, in which there were 841,000 new jobless claims reported. That number was revised down from the 861,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

New Jobless Claims Increase to 861,000, Economists Expected 773,000

February 19, 2021February 18, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims increased to 861,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented an increase in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Feb. 6, in which there were 848,000 new jobless claims reported. That number was revised up from the 793,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

New Jobless Claims Increase to 793,000, Economists Expected 760,000

February 12, 2021February 11, 2021 Michigan Star Staff

The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims decreased to 793,000 last week as the economy continued to suffer the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the Department of Labor.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics figure released Thursday represented a decrease in the number of new jobless claims compared to the week ending Jan. 30, in which there were 812,000 new jobless claims reported. The number was revised up from the 779,000 jobless claims initially reported last week.

New Unemployment Claims Fall Below 1 Million for Second Straight Week

September 10, 2020September 10, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

About 884,000 U.S. workers filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week, the second consecutive week that new claims fell below the million mark and the third time in about a month.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that the number of new claims filed in the week ending Sept. 5 was about the same as those who filed the week ending Aug. 29 – 884,000. The numbers from the week ending Aug. 29 were adjusted about by 3,000 from 881,000.

Michigan Unemployment Drops 97,000 to Fall Beneath 500,000

August 7, 2020August 6, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

New unemployment claims in Michigan reported for the week ending August 1 continue to dip slightly under the previous week’s numbers.

According to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor, Michigan registered 17, 029 new unemployment claims for the week ending August 1, a drop of 6,901 new claims for the week ending July 25, during which the state added 23,219 new claims.

1.19 Million Americans Filed for Unemployment Last Week

August 7, 2020August 6, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

The Department of Labor reported Thursday that over 1.19 million Americans filed additional claims for unemployment last week, a slight decline from the approximately 1.4 million in each of the past two weeks.

Though the number of Americans filing for unemployment was less than the 1.4 million expected to do so this week, CNBC reported, the recent news release marks the 20th week in a row that new unemployment claims have been above one million.

1.5 Million Workers File New Unemployment Claims

June 19, 2020June 18, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

More than 1.5 million American workers filed new unemployment claims last week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, even as state restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 are easing.

More than 45 million claims have been filed in the three months since state and local governments started restrictions that closed businesses deemed nonessential, but millions of those workers have since gone back to work as states began reopening their economies.

Despite Drop in New Claims, Michigan Unemployment Ninth Highest in Nation

June 5, 2020June 4, 2020 Michigan Star Staff

As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer allows more sectors of the economy to open, Michigan unemployment claims dropped to 956,418 in the week ending May 30, compared to 985,294 claims the prior week ending May 23.

Those numbers are the lowest unemployment figures in Michigan since the beginning of measures to contain the coronavirus were initiated in late March.