unemployment

3 briefs

decision 2026-05-04

The Labor Market That Cannot Be Described in One Sentence

Jobless claims hit a 1969 low the same month Meta laid off 8,000 people and Amazon is cutting 16,000. The April payrolls report on Friday will not resolve this contradiction.

decision 2026-04-30

US Jobless Claims Hit a 57-Year Low. Economists Say the Real Pain Is Still Coming.

At 189,000, initial claims are the lowest since September 1969. Analysts say tariffs and Iran war costs haven't hit payrolls yet, but they will.

decision 2026-04-18

The 48 Percent Question

Tech companies cut 78,557 jobs in Q1 2026 and blamed 48 percent of them on AI. That number is probably wrong in two different directions at once.