The Labor Department reported Thursday that first-time unemployment claims dropped 53,000 for the week ending April 11.
The number of first-time claims was 610,000, compared to last week’s revised figure of 663,000.
However, a record 6 million people continued to file claims during the week ending April 4, the agency’s most up-to-date figure. The number of claims increased by 172,000, from the revised total of 5.85 million during the previous week.
There were 18,597 former federal civilian employees filing for unemployment-insurance benefits for the week ending March 28, an increase of 516 from the previous week, the agency reported. The number of newly discharged veterans filing for benefits also increased — from 28,448 the previous week to 28,752 for the week ending March 28.
States with the highest insured-unemployment rates in the week ending March 28 were Michigan, 8.0 percent; Oregon, 7.9 percent; Rhode Island, 7.1 percent; Idaho 7 percent and Wisconsin, 7 percent, according to the agency.
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 4 were in Michigan, 5,408 more; Missouri, 4,986 more, and Texas, 3,734 more.
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