Jobless claims recede from 3-month high, but unemployment filings jump for federal workers
Source: MarketWatch
Published: March 6, 2025 at 8:44 a.m. ET
The first trickle of federal workers losing their jobs showed up last week in U.S. applications for unemployment benefits, but many more filings are likely in the next few months as the full scope of mass layoffs become clear. New jobless claims actually fell by 21,000 to 221,000 in the seven days that ended March 1, the government said They had touched a three-month high in late February.
Yet a different category supposed to reflect only federal employees jumped to 1,634 in the seven days ended Feb. 22 from 614 in the prior week. These claims are reported with a two-week lag. Federal claims generally averaged about 500 to 600 a week in the year before Trump regained the presidency.
Tens of thousands of government workers have reportedly been fired, so these federal claims are expected to keep rising. More layoffs are also expected. Government workers are paid benefits from a separate federally funded unemployment fund, but they file jobless claims in the states in which they live. Some of these federal claims could end up in the state figures initially until they are sorted out.
Private contractors who lose jobs because of government spending cuts do receive unemployment benefits through regular state programs.
Read more: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jobless-claims-recede-from-3-month-high-but-unemployment-filings-jump-for-federal-workers-f3949739
From the source (PDF) - https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20250306