FILE – A Help Wanted sign is shown in Deerfield, Illinois, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. The Labor Department reports Thursday the number of people who filed for unemployment benefits in the past week. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Slightly more Americans filed for unemployment last week, but the job market remains one of the strongest parts of the US economy.
Claims for unemployment benefits rose to 230,000 for the week ending Dec. 3, up 4,000 from 226,000 the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, rose by 1,000 to 230,000.
Jobless claims are considered a proxy for layoffs and, combined with other employment data, show that American workers enjoy extraordinary job security right now. That’s despite an economy that some see as in danger of slipping into recession due to aggressive actions by the Federal Reserve, which is trying to cool the economy by raising interest rates.