US Applications for Jobless Aid Dropped Last Week

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week, reflecting a job market that continues to look persistently healthy

In this Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, photo, A'GACI clothing store hiring manager Marcie Lowe, right, gives her card to job applicant Xionara Garcia, left, of Miami, during a job fair at Dolphin Mall in Miami. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

WASHINGTON—The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week, reflecting a job market that continues to look persistently healthy.

The Numbers

Applications for jobless aid declined 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 267,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The less volatile 4-week average ticked up slightly to 272,500.

Over the past 12 months, the number of people collecting benefits has dropped 7.7 percent to 2.2 million.

The Takeaway

The U.S. job market continues to appear strikingly robust. Applications for benefits are often a proxy for layoffs, so the decline indicates that employers are holding onto their workers and potentially looking to expand their payrolls.

Key Drivers

Net job growth has been robust. Employers are hiring 210,000 workers a month so far this year. And unemployment last month remained at a seven-year low 5 percent.

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