More Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week

By MATT OTT
AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Slightly more Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but layoffs have settled to the low, pre-pandemic levels before 2020′s coronavirus recession. Jobless claims rose by 11,000 to 227,000 for the week ending March 5, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week’s number was 216,000. First-time applications for jobless aid generally track the pace of layoffs. The four-week average for claims, which compensates for weekly volatility, rose by 500 to to 230,750. In total, 1,474,000 Americans were collecting jobless aid the week that ended Feb. 26.  The four-week moving average is at its lowest level in more than 50 years.