Kai Ryssdal

Good news is that was only half of what it was in the fourth quarter of last year of 2024, that is.

Designer Brands ascended 5% on the day.

Bonds down.

Yield on the 10-year T-note rose 4.40%.

You're listening to Marketplace.

This is Marketplace.

I'm Kai Risdahl.

We're going to detour now into the labor market.

Friday next brings us the March jobs report.

By way of reminder, we are at 4.4% on the unemployment rate as of the last update.

Today, though, we got our regular weekly update on what seems to be solidifying as a low-hire, low-fire labor market.

There were, we are told, 210,000 first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week, up just a tad from a week earlier, but...

Still low by historical standards.

There is, though, a curiosity here.

The number of continuing claims for jobless benefits, they fell by about 32,000 the week before last, and they have been trending down since late last year, which gets us to this.

If it is so hard to find a job right now, which it is low hire, low fire, right?

Why are fewer people filing those continuing claims?

Daniel Ackerman has that one.

The war in Iran has pushed energy prices higher, but Guy Berger of the Burning Glass Institute says employers haven't really reacted.

He says layoffs have actually been low for months now.