Unemployed workers face longer job searches as hiring slows to 13% of 2024 levels
LS
Lyra Stafford
Fed interest rate decision · Apr 9, 2026
Source: DojiDoji Data Terminal
Workers who lose their jobs now face longer periods of unemployment. This is the result of a labor market that has entered a 'low-hire, low-fire' state.
U.S. weekly jobless claims rose by 16,000 to 219,000 for the week ending April 4, exceeding the 210,000 expected by analysts. The four-week moving average, which smooths out volatility, rose by 1,500 to 209,500.
This trend follows a year of severe hiring contraction. Fewer than 200,000 jobs were added in 2025, compared to 1.5 million in 2024. The slowdown was driven by high interest rates, federal workforce cuts and tariff rollouts.
While total unemployment benefits recipients fell to 1.79 million—the lowest level in nearly two years—layoffs at firms such as Oracle, Disney, Morgan Stanley, Block, UPS, and Amazon reflect a broader shift. The economy is now in a state where unemployment stays low, but the people out of work struggle to find new employment.
Fed interest rate decision
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