US Jobless Claims Fall to 236,000 as German Jobless Rate Holds at 6.3%

U.S. filings for unemployment benefits fell to 236,000 in the week ended June 21, down from 245,000 a week earlier and below the 243,000 economists had projected. Continuing claims, which track the total number of people receiving state unemployment aid, edged up to 1.974 million in the week ended June 14, surpassing both the prior week’s 1.945 million and the 1.950 million forecast. The mixed readings suggest layoffs remain limited even as the pool of existing claimants grows modestly. In Germany, the Federal Employment Agency said the number of people out of work rose by a seasonally adjusted 11,000 in June to 2.972 million, a smaller increase than the 15,000 expected by analysts and well below May’s 34,000 gain. The jobless rate held steady at 6.3%. The agency counted 632,000 vacancies, 69,000 fewer than a year earlier, underscoring subdued hiring demand amid weak economic growth.