The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to 684,000, the fewest since the pandemic erupted a year ago and a sign that the economy is improving. 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 last year. Before the pandemic tore through the economy, applications had never topped that level. Initial unemployment claims Seasonally adjusted figures Jan. 1, 2010 Jan. 1, 2015 Jan. 1, 2020 01,000,0002,000,0003,000,0004,000,0005,000,0006,000,0007,000,000 claims_sa Week ending Oct. 31: 751 thousand High: 6.9 million 3/28 Recession Recession High: March 28 6.9 million Financial assistance claims shown are to regular state programs. Source: U.S. Department of Labor The number of people seeking benefits under a federal program for self-employed and contract workers also dropped, to 241,000, […]