MADRID, 20 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Initial applications for unemployment benefits in the United States reached a total of 228,000 applications last week, representing a decrease of 9,000 people compared to the previous figure, according to data published this Thursday by the Labor Department.

Unemployment benefit recipients added a total of 1,754 million in the week ending on July 8, which represents an advance in the number of beneficiaries of 33,000 people compared to the 1,721 million of the previous week. In the same comparable period of 2022, citizens with benefits reached 1,341 million.

The largest increases were in the states of New York (8,043), Ohio (1,783), Pennsylvania (1,413), Iowa (1,368) and Arizona (1,118), while the steepest declines were in Connecticut (-3,538), New Jersey (-3,290), Michigan (-1,434), Minnesota (-758) and Rhode Island (-751).

The unemployment rate in the United States experienced a decrease of one tenth in June, reaching 3.6%, while 209,000 non-agricultural jobs were created, its lowest figure since December 2020. The total number of unemployed reached 5.95 million in contrast to 6.097 million in May.

On the other hand, the consultancy ADP also reported two weeks ago that in June the North American private sector generated 497,000 jobs, with a special role for leisure and accommodation, commerce and transport companies. In addition, these companies increased the wage bill by 6.4% year-on-year.