Jobless Claims by Federal Workers Drop, Close to 2024 Average

New applications for unemployment benefits filed by federal employees declined last week and remain at levels close to their 18-month average.

There were 508 initial claims filed nationwide in the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees program for the week ended March 29, down from 564 the previous week, according data posted on the Department of Labor’s website on Thursday. That’s less than a third of a peak in February, after the Trump administration started to fire employees across government agencies.

Some fired workers may not be seeking unemployment benefits because they’ve been rehired, are still collecting severance pay, or ...