US jobless claims fall to lowest level since 1969 as states float rebate checks

Claims dropped by 28,000 for week ending 19 March as at least a dozen states consider checks to ease burden of inflation

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week fell to its lowest level in 52 years as the US job market continues to show strength in the midst of rising costs and the pandemic.

Jobless claims fell by 28,000 to 187,000 for the week ending 19 March, the lowest since September of 1969, the labor department reported on Thursday. First-time applications for jobless aid generally track the pace of layoffs.