Applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. fell less than forecast last week, showing only gradual improvement from the worst of the pandemic-related layoffs even as states re-open more of their economies.

Initial jobless claims for regular state programs totaled 1.51 million in the week ended June 13, down slightly from an upwardly revised 1.57 million in the prior week, Labor Department figures showed Thursday. The 58,000 weekly drop was the smallest since claims began to retreat in early April. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 1.29 million initial claims in the latest week.

Continuing claims -- the total number of Americans claiming ongoing unemployment benefits in state programs -- decreased to 20.5 million in the week ended June 6, compared with a median projection of 19.9 million. Those figures are reported with a one-week lag.

Source : Bloomberg