WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. filings for jobless benefits rose in the last week of 2025 but remain historically low, despite signs that the labor market is weakening.
The number of Americans filing for jobless claims for the week ending Jan. 3 rose by 8,000 to 208,000, up from 200,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The figure was right in line with what analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet were expecting.
Applications for unemployment aid are viewed as a proxy for layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.
Last month, the government reported that the U.S. gained a decent 64,000 jobs in November but lost 105,000 in October as federal workers departed after cutbacks by the Trump administration. That helped to push the unemployment rate up to 4.6%, the highest since 2021.
The government’s December jobs report will be released Friday, with analysts expecting that the U.S. added 55,000 non-farm jobs.
On Wednesday, the Labor Department reported that businesses posted far fewer jobs in November than the previous month, a sign that employers aren’t yet ramping up hiring even as growth has picked up.
Businesses and government agencies posted 7.1 million open jobs at the end of November, down from 7.4 million in October. Layoffs also dropped as companies seem to be retaining workers even as they are reluctant to add staff, a trend economists refer to as “low hire, low fire.”
Recent government data has revealed a labor market in which hiring has clearly lost momentum, hobbled by uncertainty raised by President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the lingering effects of the high interest rates the Fed engineered in 2022 and 2023 to rein in a spike of pandemic-induced inflation. Since March, job creation has fallen to an average 35,000 a month, compared to 71,000 in the 12 months ended in March.
In an attempt to stabilize a softening labor market, the Federal Reserve last month trimmed its benchmark lending rate by a quarter-point, its third straight cut.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said members of the committee are increasingly concerned that the job market is even weaker than it appears. Powell suggested that recent job figures could be revised lower by as much as 60,000, which would mean employers have actually been shedding an average of about 25,000 jobs a month since the spring, when the Trump administration rolled out its sweeping import taxes.
Companies that have recently announced job cuts include UPS, General Motors, Amazon and Verizon.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that the four-week average of claims, which softens some of the week-to-week volatility, fell by 7,250 to 211,750.
The total number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the previous week ending Dec. 27 jumped by 56,000 to 1.91 million, the government said.
FILE - Pedestrians walk past a help wanted sign posted on the door of a restaurant in San Francisco, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Miami coach Mario Cristobal gathered his offensive linemen together during a pressure-packed, fourth-quarter drive in the Fiesta Bowl and delivered a message to the big, beefy guys he knows so well.
You five are about to lead the way for the winning touchdown.
“He believed in us,” Hurricanes right tackle Francis Mauigoa said. “We were in the middle of the field and he's saying, ‘We’re going to score this. Defense get ready.'”
Sure enough, a few minutes later quarterback Carson Beck ran untouched into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown to cap a bruising 15-play, 75-yard drive, and the No. 10 seed Hurricanes had earned a 31-27 victory over No. 6 Mississippi along with a chance to play for their first national title since 2001.
“All the work that we put in, all the preparation that goes into this, is for moments like these,” said Beck, who finished with 268 yards passing and two touchdowns. “You play this game for moments like these, you live for moments like these.”
It was the kind of physically dominant performance that Cristobal — a former offensive lineman at Miami — thoroughly enjoyed.
“It almost seems like the tougher it gets, the better we play,” Cristobal said. “And it’s a testament to them, to their resilience, and their will.”
Miami dominated the line of scrimmage for the majority of their win, racking up an impressive 191 yards rushing as the line spent much of the night steamrolling the Rebels’ defense. Mark Fletcher ran for 133 yards on 22 carries, the Hurricanes had 459 total yards and the offense controlled the ball for more than 41 minutes compared to roughly 18 1/2 minutes for the Rebels.
That's not to say the Ole Miss defense didn't present some challenges. The Rebels sacked Beck four times, which helped them rally for a 27-24 lead with 3:13 left.
“They brought out some smart stuff — they brought out some good blitzes,” Mauigoa said. “The head coach over there (Pete Golding) is a smart guy.”
But the offensive line — from left to right, Markel Bell (6-foot-8, 345 pounds), Matthew McCoy (6-6, 325), James Brockermeyer (6-3, 295), Anez Cooper (6-5, 345) and Mauigoa (6-6, 335) — was at its best on the final drive.
Cristobal gave the group the game ball during the on-field postgame celebration.
“It was just what the situation required,” Brockermeyer said. “If we didn't do that, we lose the game. I think it's a little different when you've got to have it. Never throw in the towel, keep fighting, keep throwing haymakers and at the end of the day, look up at the scoreboard and the Miami Hurricanes are 1-0.”
Beck had plenty of time to survey the field on the game-deciding play, pulling the ball down before running into the end zone. It had to be a beautiful sight for Cristobal, who was an offensive tackle for the Hurricanes during some of their glory years in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Brockermeyer said the team — and particularly the offensive line — feeds off their coach's energy.
“Unless you've played offensive line like he has, there's no way to truly understand what it's like,” Brockermeyer said. "It's just such a blessing to have a guy like that in our corner, a guy who gets it, respects it, puts a huge emphasis on it.
“He's built this program around the offensive and defensive lines and it's awesome to be a part of.”
Now the Hurricanes are one game away from their first title in 25 years. They'll play for the national title on Jan. 19 against either Indiana or Oregon in their backyard in Miami Gardens, Florida.
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Miami head coach Mario Cristobal talks with defensive back Jakobe Thomas (8) during the second half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal game against Mississippi, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Miami defensive lineman Artavius Jones (42) and linebacker Wesley Bissainthe (31) react after a play during the second half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal game against Mississippi, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Miami running back Charmar Brown (6) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal game against Mississippi, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal reacts after a touchdown during the first half of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal game against Mississippi, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Miami offensive lineman Markel Bell holds up a trophy after winning the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal game against Mississippi, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
