Paul Wiseman

AP Economics Writer

A hiring sign is displayed at a restaurant in Schaumburg, Ill., April 1, 2022. Employers posted a record 11.5 million job openings in March, more evidence of a tight labor market that has emboldened millions of American workers to leave their jobs and contributed to the biggest surge in inflation in four decades.

Employers Post Record 11.5 Million Job Openings in March

The U.S. now has two job openings for every unemployed person.

A damaged building and car after recent shelling, in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 27, 2022.

Russia War Ends Era of Globalization

The free flow of trade has long kept inflation low.

A hiring sign is shown at a booth for Jameson's Irish Pub during a job fair on Sept. 22, 2021, in the West Hollywood section of Los Angeles.

A Record 4.5 Million Americans Quit Their Jobs in November

The Labor Department also reported employers posted 10.6 million job openings in November.

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the seventh straight week to a pandemic low 268,000.

U.S. Jobless Claims Drop Seventh Straight Week to 268,000

Claims dipped by 1,000 last week.

Marriott human resources recruiter Mariela Cuevas, left, talks to Lisbet Oliveros, during a job fair at Hard Rock Stadium, Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a new pandemic low 267,000 last week.

U.S. Jobless Claims Drop to Pandemic Low of 267,000

The claims fell by 4,000 last week.

In this Sept. 22, 2021, file photo, prospective employers and job seekers interact during a job fair in the West Hollywood section of Los Angeles. California has been averaging more than 100,000 new jobs each month since February. New data released Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows California is now tied with Nevada for the highest unemployment rate in the country at 7.5%.

Unemployment Claims Drop to 269,000, Another Pandemic Low

The four-week average of claims dropped below 285,000.

A hiring sign is displayed at a furniture store window on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Downers Grove, Ill. Unemployment claims dropped 6,000 to 290,000 last week, the third straight drop, the Labor Department said Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021.

U.S. Jobless Claims Drop to Pandemic Low of 281,000

Claims dropped by 10,000.

A hiring sign is placed at a booth for prospective employers during a job fair Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, in the West Hollywood section of Los Angeles. The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid rose last week for a second straight week to 351,000, a sign that the delta variant of the coronavirus may be disrupting the job market’s recovery, at least temporarily.

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to 326,000

It is the first drop in four weeks.

A hiring sign is placed at a booth for prospective employers during a job fair Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, in the West Hollywood section of Los Angeles. The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid rose last week for a second straight week to 351,000, a sign that the delta variant of the coronavirus may be disrupting the job market’s recovery, at least temporarily.

U.S. Jobless Claims Tick Up From Near Pandemic Low

Claims rose by 16,000.

In this Jan. 27, 2021, file photo, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson delivers the State of the State address in Jefferson City, Mo. A judge on Tuesday, Aug. 31, sided with Gov. Parson in his decision in June to end several federal programs that provided enhanced jobless benefits for Missourians.

U.S. Jobless Claims Reach a Pandemic Low as Hiring Strengthens

Jobless claims dropped by 14,000.

A hiring sign is shown in Downers Grove, Ill., Thursday, June 24, 2021. The number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits slid last week, another sign that the job market continues to recover rapidly from the coronavirus recession.

U.S. Jobless Claims Down to 400,000 as Economy Recovers

The weekly applications have fallen from a peak of 904,000 in early January.

American Express, Visa and Master card cards on display in Richmond, Va., Thursday, July 1, 2021. U.S. consumer borrowing surged by $35.3 billion in May as Americans, bolstered by a reopening economy and rising job levels, went back to using credit in a big way.

U.S. Unemployment Claims Fall to 360,000, New Pandemic Low

The Labor Department showed jobless claims fell by 26,000 last week.