QMJ - Initial Claims Rise Again But The Outlook For Jobs Remains Positive

• Initial claims for regular state unemployment insurance totaled 744,000 for the week ending April 3, up 16,000 from the previous week's upwardly revised tally of 728,000.
• Despite a second consecutive uptick, the outlook for jobs and the economy has been improving as government restrictions on consumers and businesses continue to be lifted.
• The number of ongoing claims for state unemployment programs totaled 4.068 million for the week ending March 20, down 132,454 from the prior week and the lowest since the lockdowns began in March 2020.

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