New Jobless Claims Remain Subdued

Initial claims for unemployment rose by 12,000 during the week that ended on Dec. 23, the Labor Department said Thursday, though the four-week average barely budged at 212,000. Newly filed unemployment claims have risen from their pandemic lows but remain subdued as employers continue to hold on to workers. + The unemployment rate remains below 4% and the economy continues to see net job gains each month, but the number of workers staying on unemployment insurance rolls has grown over the past year.