WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plummeted last week to the lowest level in more than half a century, another sign that the U.S. job market is rebounding rapidly from last year’s coronavirus recession.

Get our free mobile app

Jobless claims dropped by 71,000 to 199,000, the lowest since mid-November 1969. The drop was much bigger than economists expected.

The four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly ups and downs, also dropped — by 21,000 to just over 252,000, the lowest since mid-March 2020 when the pandemic slammed the economy.

Seasonal adjustments around the Thanksgiving holiday contributed significantly to the bigger-than-expected drop.

Last Wyoming Fotomat Employees Still On The Job

Is he still waiting for someone to come pick up?

More From Laramie Live