AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 712,000, the lowest total since early November, evidence that fewer employers are cutting jobs amid a decline in confirmed coronavirus cases and signs of an improving economy.
The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for unemployment aid dropped by 42,000 from 754,000 the week before.
Though the job market has been slowly strengthening, many businesses remain under pressure, and 9.6 million jobs remain lost to the pandemic that flattened the economy 12 months ago.
Meantime, after passage of President Biden‘s $1.9T COVID-19 relief bill, Fort Worth-based American Airlines told 13,000 workers who were given layoff warning notices last month to “Tear them up.”
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom sent a letter telling them their jobs are now safe.
Among other things the newly passed American Rescue Plan provides billions in funding to support payrolls.
In their letter, the airline execs also expressed optimism about the future as COVID-19 vaccinations increase across the country.
(Copyright 2021 WBAP/KLIF 24/7 News. This report contains material from The Associated Press.)
