WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits across America fell sharply last week to 684,000, the fewest since the pandemic erupted a year ago and a sign the economy is improving.
Jobless claims went up in Utah during the same week.
READ: Claims for unemployment benefits in Utah went up last week
Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that jobless claims fell from 781,000 the week before.
It is the first time that weekly applications for jobless aid have fallen below 700,000 since mid-March of 2020.
Before the pandemic tore through the economy, applications had never topped that level.
