WASHINGTON—The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the sixth straight week.
Jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 376,000 from 385,000 the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The number of people signing up for benefits exceeded 900,000 in early January and has fallen more or less steadily ever since. Still, claims are high by historic standards. Before the coronavirus pandemic was declared in March 2020, weekly applications were regularly coming in below 220,000.
