WASHINGTON, D.C. — First-time unemployment claims again increased on a week-over-week basis. During the week ending July 25, 1.4 million Americans filed for assistance, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week but less than the 1.5 million claims estimate from economists surveyed by Dow Jones.
Prior to the week ending July 18, there were 15 straight weeks of decreasing claims. For the week ending July 18, continuing claims stood at just over 17 million, an 867,000 increase from the previous week. (Data on continuing claims is delayed by one week.)
Some states and municipalities have begun to roll back reopenings of schools and businesses, causing the unemployment numbers to tick back up.
Additionally, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Thursday morning that the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter shrunk at an annual rate of 32.9 percent. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones were expecting a decrease of 34.7 percent.