New unemployment claims dropped slightly this week, the Department of Labor said. File photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
July 24 (UPI) -- The number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance dropped unexpectedly this week, but unemployed workers are likely having a difficult time getting new jobs.
The United States Department of Labor released its weekly unemployment insurance claims seasonally adjusted data for the week of July 19, showing a slight drop in claims.
The advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 217,000, a drop of 4,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 221,000.
The four-week moving average was 224,500, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 229,500. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.3 percent for the week ending July 12, and that didn't change from the previous week.
