"Steady: US Weekly Jobless Claims Remain at Low Levels"

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits remained unchanged at a low level last week, indicating continued strength in the labor market. This, along with elevated inflation, has led to expectations that the Federal Reserve may delay cutting interest rates until September. The claims data covered the period during which the government surveyed businesses and other establishments for the nonfarm payrolls component of April's employment report, and the economy added 303,000 jobs in March. The Fed's latest "Beige Book" report described employment as rising at a "slight pace overall" since late February, and data next week on the number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid will offer more clues on the state of the labor market in April.