[SeekAndFind]

There were 460,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended April 3.

I'm trying to understand thsi figure, especially the word --initial. This tells me that 460,000 were newly laid off. Am I right in my understanding ? If so, WHEN were they laid off ? the previous week ?

If this is the case, that's a huge number. If say 450,000 people are newly laid off per week, that amounts to close to 2.5 Million people a year if you extrapolate it.

Somebody help this poor ignoramus trying to understand the figures.

[DonaldC]

“I’m trying to understand thsi figure, especially the word —initial. This tells me that 460,000 were newly laid off. Am I right in my understanding ? If so, WHEN were they laid off ? the previous week ? “

Someone a few months ago said the normal in a robust economy is 300,000 or so. While we are still loosing ground, it is not as bad as that number initially seems.

[ichabod1]

250 gajillion. Some people get hired during the week too and don’t file.