Jobs

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, but remained very high as the labor market recovery shows signs of strain amid a relentless COVID-19 pandemic and ebbing fiscal stimulus.

Dick’s Sporting Goods said on Thursday it will hire up to 9,000 workers to cover the holiday season in its stores, 1,000 more than last year, expecting a jump in online orders amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits inched down last week, signaling the U.S. labor market is making little fresh headway in getting millions of people back on the job after being out of work due to COVID-19 disruptions.

U.S. consumer confidence rebounded by the most in 17 years in September amid an improvement in labor market views, but it remained below levels that prevailed before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the nation early this year.

Papa John’s will hire 10,000 more workers as it tries to meet demand for its pizzas. Pizza chains have seen demand soar as more consumers stay at home. Papa John’s recently hired 20,000 employees.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG.N) said on Wednesday it plans to hire as many as 10,000 employees over the next few months to help support the expansion of drive-thru lanes at its restaurants.

A high-profile pandemic aid program protected about 51.1 million American jobs, the Trump administration said on Monday, as it revealed how $521.4 billion in taxpayer cash was injected into small businesses but also into the pockets of the rich and famous.

The US unemployment rate fell to 11.1% as the economy added a record 4.8 million jobs in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday.

The U.S. economy created jobs at a record clip in June as more restaurants and bars resumed operations, further evidence that the COVID-19 recession was probably over, though a surge in cases of the coronavirus threatens the fledgling recovery.

The novel coronavirus delayed the arrival of seasonal immigrants who normally help harvest U.S. wheat, leaving farmers to depend on high school students, school bus drivers, laid-off oilfield workers and others to run machines that bring in the crop.