According to data published this Thursday by the US Department of Labor, 6,000 new unemployment subsidy claims were added in the second week of April, reaching 214,000 overall.

According to the According to the analysis, for the week ending April 11, the total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits increased by 12,000, reaching 1.82 million. Amid a tight labor market due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, which has partly fueled soaring inflation, unemployment claims become a key factor in determining the number of indirect layoffs in the country, reflecting the overall health of the sector. For monetary policymakers at the Federal Reserve, the labor market is an important indicator for interest rate decisions. Recently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that approximately 178,000 new jobs were created in March; However, the unemployment rate remains above 4%. The BLS analysis also highlighted that approximately 92,000 jobs were lost in February. In recent months, a significant wave of layoffs has been observed, particularly in the technology and retail sectors. The former is due to the integration of AI into its operating systems, and the latter to the decline in consumer spending pressured by high prices. The war in Iran, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the rise in oil and gasoline prices have increased the pressure on American consumers, who are already feeling the weight of larger bills in their pockets. Inflation has also emerged in recent weeks, reaching 3.3% year-over-year, driven by the cost of gasoline, which is currently above $4 per gallon.