Claims for jobless benefits fall to 787,000, down 19,000

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell by 19,000 but remains elevated at 787,000 as a resurgent coronavirus grips the U.S. economy.

While at the lowest level in four weeks, the new figures released Thursday by the Labor Department are nearly four times higher than a year ago before the coronavirus struck. Employers continue to cut jobs as rising coronavirus infections keep many people at home while state and local governments reimpose restrictions.

Jobless claims were running around 225,000 a week before the pandemic struck with force last March. The pandemic caused weekly jobless claims to surge to a high of 6.9 million in late March as efforts to contain the virus sent the economy into a deep recession.