Goldman Sachs Says US Unemployment Applications Inched Up Last Week

Economic Indicators - Initial claims for unemployment benefits in the United States increased from 218,000 to 224,000 during the week ended September 27 [1] - The number of people receiving unemployment benefits declined from 1.93 million to 1.91 million during the week ended September 20 [3] - The national unemployment rate remained stable at 4.3% according to the Chicago Fed's unofficial estimate [4] Labor Market Analysis - The labor market is described as "stagnating" due to factors such as cost increases and the adoption of artificial intelligence [5] - The private sector employed 32,000 fewer people in September compared to the previous month, indicating a slowdown in job creation across most sectors [6] - U.S. employers have been cautious with hiring despite strong economic growth in the second quarter [7]