Dec. 3, 2021—After reaching a 52-week low of 194,000, unemployment rates crept up slight this past week to 222,000.
The four-week average of claims, which the Associated Press says "smooths out week-to-week ups and downs," fell to a pandemic low 239,000.
Claims have dropped precipitously since reaching a pandemic high of 900,000 at the beginning of this year. The AP report says the numbers show a strong recovery in the economy following a pandemic-induced recession.
