US Applications for Jobless Benefits Highest Since October 2021

US Applications for Jobless Benefits Highest Since October 2021
A hiring sign is displayed at a restaurant in Prospect Heights, Ill., on April 4, 2023. Nam Y. Huh/Reuters
The Associated Press
Updated:
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The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week rose to its highest level since October 2021, but the labor market remains one of the healthiest parts of the U.S. economy.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that U.S. applications for jobless claims were 261,000 for the week ending June 3, an increase of 28,000 from the previous week’s 233,000. Weekly jobless claims are considered representative of U.S. layoffs.