First-time applications for jobless benefits are at their lowest in 15 years

The Labor Department announced Thursday that weekly, first-time applications for unemployment benefits have fallen to 262,000, the lowest number of applications since April 2000.

Bloomberg notes that the news comes as job openings are at a 14-year high. Other reports released Thursday showed increased consumer spending in March, even though U.S. GDP expanded just 0.2 percent in the first quarter. The Labor Department also found that U.S. workers' paychecks increased at a faster pace in the first quarter.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Meghan DeMaria

Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.