US jobless claims filings increased by 2,000 to 223,000 for the week ending March 15, according to the Labor Department. This is close to forecasted levels of 224,000 new applications. The four-week average also rose to 227,000, indicating a slight increase in layoffs.
Historically low unemployment rates remain, with weekly applications mostly staying within the range of 200,000 and 250,000 for several years. However, some economists expect an impact from federal government job cuts when the March jobs report is released later this month. The most recent February report showed a 10,000-job loss in the federal workforce, the largest since June 2022.
Source: https://www.businessreport.com/article/what-the-latest-report-on-us-unemployment-indicates