Unemployment claims see slight decrease for sixth straight week

Unemployment claims for the week of June 5 saw a decrease, with 9,000 fewer Americans filing for unemployment than the week prior. File Photo by Gary C. Caskey/UPI National Economic Council Director Brian Deese speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Friday. The May jobs report indicated that unemployment fell to 5.8% and that the economy added 559,000 jobs. Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI Mark Gilmore, an unemployed water treatment plant electrician, came seeking information about his unemployment claim but found the California Employment Development Department office in Canoga Park, Calif., closed on August 6. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

June 10 (UPI) -- For the sixth week in a row, the U.S. Labor Department is reporting a slight decrease in unemployment claims as the nation struggles to get back to work in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unemployment claims for the week of June 5 saw a decrease, with 9,000 fewer Americans filing for unemployment than the week prior. A total 376,000 claims were filed.

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This is the sixth week in a row the unemployment rate has declined and its lowest since March 2020, down from an all-time high of nearly 15 percent in April 2020.

In May, the unemployment rate was 5.8%. Extended unemployment benefits were available in Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Texas and the District of Columbia as of May 22.

Around 3.5 million Americans are on traditional state unemployment benefits across the country.

Last month alone, ADP-Moody's said nearly 1 million were back to work.