Nearly 1.2M Americans File First-Time Unemployment Claims, Lowest Weekly Figure Since COVID-19 Outbreak

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly 1.2 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment assistance during the week ending Aug. 1. The latest figure is the lowest weekly total since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected 1.4 million claims for the week.

There have now been 20 consecutive weeks of initial claims totaling more than 1 million filings.

The four-week moving average was 1.3 million claims, a decrease of 31,000 from the previous four-week average. Additionally, continuing claims dipped by 844,000 to 16.1 million.