Weekly jobless claims have dropped to their lowest levels since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in March, which could bolster President Donald Trump’s re-election efforts.
“New filings for jobless claims in the U.S. totaled 787,000 last week, the lowest total since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic,” CNBC reported. “The total reflected a decline of 55,000 from the downwardly revised 842,000 from the previous week. The last time the weekly claims total was lower was the 282,000 on March 14, just before an avalanche of layoffs that occurred in conjunction with efforts to combat the virus.”
The report noted that some economists had expected the number to be approximately 90,000 higher. The report added that one reason for the drop was that some workers had moved onto the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance emergency compensation program after they exhausted their regular benefits.
“In addition to the substantial drop in the headline number, continuing claims also showed another hefty drop,” CNBC added. “The level of those getting benefit for at least two weeks dripped by 1.02 million to 8.37 million.”
Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, told CNBC in a statement:
We’re happy to see continuing claims fall, but the decline — even allowing for the PEUC/extended benefits effect — does not map one-to-one onto rising payrolls. Some people no longer claiming benefits may have dropped out of the labor force, while some might have taken non-payroll gig or freelance jobs. Moreover, continuing claims lag initial claims, so if initial claims start rising again, continuing claims will follow.
The Department of Labor noted that the advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate had dropped to 5.7 percent, a drop of 0.7 percent from the previous week’s rate of 6.4 percent.
Labor Sectary Eugene Scalia said that today’s job numbers represented “encouraging news about the job market.”
Scalia added on Twitter, “We still have millions of Americans to help return to work—but the job market is miles ahead of April forecasts.”
We still have millions of Americans to help return to work—but the job market is miles ahead of April forecasts.
— Secretary Scalia (@SecGeneScalia) October 22, 2020
“The number of people receiving benefits through state programs, which cover most workers, has declined in recent weeks to the lowest levels since late March,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “That is consistent with many employers recalling workers furloughed earlier this year, and some, such as online retailers and logistics firms, adding staff.”
On Monday, SmartAsset published a list of the fastest growing jobs in each state:
- Alabama: Meat Packers and Slaughterers (369%)
- Alaska: Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers (250%)
- Arizona: Metal and Plastic Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators and Tenders (276%)
- Arkansas: Interviewers, Except Eligibility Loan (178%)
- California: Marriage and Family Therapists (280%)
- Colorado: Statisticians (164%)
- Connecticut: Manicurists and Pedicurists (149%)
- Delaware: Occupational Therapists (140%)
- Washington, D.C.: Postsecondary Education Teachers (471%)
- Florida: Traffic Technicians (433%)
- Georgia: Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists (255%)
- Hawaii: Dietetic Technicians (283%)
- Idaho: Production Worker Helpers (131%)
- Illinois: Costume Attendants (286%)
- Indiana: Museum Technicians and Conservators (138%)
- Iowa: Statisticians (271%)
- Kansas: Postsecondary Philosophy and Religion Teachers (625%)
- Kentucky: Metal and Plastic Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators and Tenders (307%)
- Louisiana: Materials Engineer (338%)
- Maine: Metal and Plastic Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators and Tenders (650%)
- Maryland: Bailiffs (315%)
- Massachusetts: Costume Attendants (333%)
- Michigan: Postsecondary Architecture Teachers (300%)
- Minnesota: Avionics Technicians (300%)
- Mississippi: Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists (115%)
- Missouri: First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers (362%)
- Montana: Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants (178%)
- Nebraska: Private Detectives and Investigators (220%)
- Nevada: Interpreters and Translators (388%)
- New Hampshire: Training and Development Managers (167%)
- New Jersey: Highway Maintenance Workers (168%)
- New Mexico: Judges, Magistrate Judges and Magistrates (209%)
- New York: Financial Examiners (178%)
- North Carolina: Fast Food Cooks (182%)
- North Dakota: Legislators (210%)
- Ohio: Conservation Scientists (141%)
- Oklahoma: Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan (213%)
- Oregon: Electronics Engineers, Except Computer (294%)
- Pennsylvania: Postsecondary Health Specialties Teachers (148%)
- Rhode Island: Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (674%)
- South Carolina: Metal and Plastic Forging Machine Setters, Operators and Tenders (404%)
- South Dakota: Interpreters and Translators (189%)
- Tennessee: Metal and Plastic Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators and Tenders (374%)
- Texas: Cleaning, Washing and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders (174%)
- Utah: Statisticians (293%)
- Vermont: Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating and Still Machine Setters, Operators and Tenders (167%)
- Virginia: Community Health Workers (112%)
- Washington: Community Health Workers (247%)
- West Virginia: Operations Research Analysts (186%)
- Wisconsin: Manual Grinding and Polishing Workers (278%)
- Wyoming: Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers (171%)
This story has been updated to include additional information.