U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Decline to 189,000 for Week Ending April 25

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, initial jobless claims declined to 189,000 for the week ending April 25, with the unemployment rate holding steady in April. Continuing jobless claims, seasonally adjusted, fell by 23,000 to 1.785 million. The data shows the labor market maintains a “low hiring, low layoffs” pattern despite Middle East tensions and oil price volatility. A Conference Board survey released Tuesday indicated that consumer perceptions of job availability remained stable in April, consistent with the steady unemployment rate.