Unemployment dips again

Just more than 470,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, the lowest level since the pandemic began. More employers are opening for business, and available jobs remain at the highest level on record. Many employers complain they can’t find enough workers.

Why not? Many say enhanced unemployment aid, which has provided an extra $300 weekly during the pandemic, is causing a shortage of workers. White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday insisted that the increased benefits weren’t keeping people from going back to work, and some suggest Friday’s drop in new jobless claims bolsters the position of the White House. But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and many businesses are not convinced. More than a half-dozen Republican governors plan to end enhanced unemployment aid in their states next month.

Dig deeper: Listen to Sarah Schweinsberg’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about business owners’ difficulties filling job positions.