US Weekly Jobless Claims Fall; Layoffs Hit 21-Year Low in June

Line cook Ray Liberge, 48, attends a job fair for restaurant and hotel workers, after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, near Los Angeles, Calif., on June 23, 2021. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

WASHINGTON—The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, while layoffs plunged to a 21-year low in June as companies held on to their workers amid labor shortages.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 51,000 to a seasonally adjusted 364,000 for the week ended June 26, the Labor Department said on Thursday.