US jobless claims fall to 473K as more GOP governors bar aid
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 473,000. That’s new pandemic low and the latest evidence that fewer employers are cutting jobs as consumers ramp up spending and more businesses reopen. The decline — the fourth in the past five weeks — coincides with a rash of states led by Republican governors that have blamed generous benefits for a slowdown in hiring and are taking steps to cut off the extra aid.