Jobless claims remain high, with 2.3 million seeking aid last week

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dipped last week, while the number of applications for self-employment aid kept rising, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Some 1.3 million Americans filed for initial unemployment benefits in the week ending July 4, a drop of 99,000 from the previous week.

Another 1 million filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a new federal program for self-employed and gig workers.

While the number of people filing for jobless aid has declined every week since peaking in mid-March, the drop has been slower than economists would like.

Applications for jobless aid have surpassed 1 million for four months straight, with claims more than twice as high as the worst week during the Great Recession.

More than 32 million people — about one-fifth of the U.S.

"Equally concerning, initial state claims increased in 23 states last week, including those with major virus spikes, such as Texas and Louisiana.".

In June, employers added a substantial 4.8 million jobs, and the unemployment rate fell from 13.3% to a still-high 11.1%. .