Unemployment claims hold steady as economy regains footing
CBSN
The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits edged up last week to 373,000, the Department of Labor said on Thursday. That figure is little changed from last week's revised claims total of 371,000, a sign the labor market remains steady as layoffs slow.
Economists had expected first-time jobless claims for the week ended July 3 to fall to about 350,000. While the number of people filing for jobless aid was higher than expected, the overall trend has shown a marked decline as the economy regains its footing and employers rehire workers. With vaccinations against COVID-19 continuing across the U.S., Americans are resuming their pre-pandemic behavior — traveling, shopping and eating out — and sparking demand for workers across multiple industries.Washington — The Supreme Court on Friday said it will consider the constitutionality of the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund, agreeing to review a lower court decision that upended the mechanism for funding programs that provide communications services to rural areas, low-income communities and schools, libraries and hospitals.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launched six space tourists on a high-speed dash to the edge of space and back Friday, giving the passengers — including a husband and wife making their second flight — about three minutes of weightlessness and an out-of-this world view before the capsule made a parachute descent to touchdown at the company's west Texas flight facility.