US filings for unemployment aid fall to 187,000 last week, fewest since 1969 <



Now hiring sign is seen in front of an auto body shop in Chicago, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y...More WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. applications for jobless benefits tumbled to the lowest level in more than five decades last week as layoffs remain historically low despite global economic uncertainty. The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits in the week ending July 18 declined by 22,000 to 187,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That's the fewest number of weekly applications since the week ending Sept. 6, 1969, according to Labor Department data. It's also well below the 215,000 new applications forecast by analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet. ADVERTISEMENT