U.S. Jobless Claims Fall Slightly, Though Remain Near 1 Million

Applications for U.S. state unemployment benefits fell only slightly last week and remained elevated, signaling heightened pandemic-related strain in the U.S. labor market just as Joe Biden begins his first days as president.

Initial jobless claims in regular state programs declined by 26,000 to 900,000 in the week ended Jan. 16, according to Labor Department data Thursday. On an unadjusted basis, the figure dropped by more than 151,000 to 960,668.

Continuing claims in state programs -- an approximation of the number of people receiving ongoing jobless benefits -- decreased by 127,000 to 5.05 million in the week ended Jan. 9. ...