Unemployment Claims See Slight Uptick, but Private-Sector Layoffs Remain Low

Several high-profile companies announced layoffs in early 2025, including Workday, Dow, CNN, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, and Facebook parent company Meta.

A hiring sign is displayed at a grocery store in Deerfield, Ill., on July 25, 2024. Nam Y. Huh, File/AP Photo

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits slightly increased last week, but layoffs across the country remain relatively low, according to new data released by the Department of Labor on Mar. 20.

For the week ended Mar. 15, seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance stood at 223,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 221,000. Weekly jobless claims are considered a key indicator of layoffs.