US Continuing Jobless Claims Rise to Highest Since November 2021

Recurring applications for US unemployment benefits rose to the highest since November 2021, adding to signs it’s proving more difficult for out-of-work people to reenter the workforce.

Continuing claims, a proxy for the number of people receiving benefits, increased to 1.9 million in the week ended March 22, slightly higher than economists expected. Those applications have been hovering just under that level for several months now. Meanwhile, initial claims dipped last week, to 219,000, according to Labor Department data released Thursday.

The rise in recurring claims alongside a relatively subdued level of new claims is consistent with a job ...