Post by : Rameen Ariff

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week, signaling resilience in the U.S. labor market even as the federal government remains shut down. New claims dropped to approximately 218,000 for the week ending October 25, down from a revised 231,000 the previous week, indicating continued stability in hiring trends.

Although the U.S. Labor Department has not released its regular weekly report since September 25 due to the ongoing government shutdown, most states provided unemployment data. These figures were adjusted using seasonal factors from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, resulting in estimates that closely align with official trends. Data from Massachusetts, Arizona, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands was unavailable, so analysts used a four-week average to fill the gaps.

Continuing claims, which track the number of people still receiving jobless benefits, edged up slightly to 1.95 million in the week ending October 18, compared to 1.94 million the previous week. Despite high-profile layoffs from major companies including Amazon and U.S. automakers, the broader labor market has remained largely steady.

Experts say the drop in new unemployment claims reflects the underlying strength of the U.S. economy, suggesting that hiring continues and layoffs, while affecting select sectors, have not broadly disrupted the job market.

The data offers reassurance to economists and policymakers that, despite the federal shutdown and corporate layoffs, the U.S. workforce remains robust and capable of weathering current uncertainties.

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