U.S. Jobless Claims Dropped Below 200,000 Half Century Ago

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. jobless claims have been below 300,000 for more than three years and earlier this year reached 209,000, the lowest since December 1969. The record low in data back to 1967 was 162,000 in November 1968. Last week, claims rose to 231,000. “Further sustained gains would be needed to signal a significant change in the trend,” Jim O'Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, wrote in a client note. “In the meantime, the data until now have continued to signal more than enough strength in employment growth to keep the unemployment rate trending down.”

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