The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US has reached its highest level in over three years, indicating that it may take longer for the unemployed to find jobs. As reported by the US Labor Department on Thursday, the number of people claiming continued unemployment benefits had risen to 1.91 million as of December 14th. Meanwhile, the number of people first claiming unemployment benefits decreased slightly to 219,000 as of December 21st. The steady increase in continued unemployment benefits in 2024 is consistent with other data indicating that finding employment is becoming increasingly difficult. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell recently stated that the labor market remains stable but decision-makers are closely monitoring any signs of deterioration. Powell emphasized that the cooling of the labor market is not yet severe enough to cause concern, particularly following the Fed's third rate cut in three months.
Source: G隆汇 (Global Views)