Weekly New Hampshire jobless claims data shows employment gains

New Hampshire’s unemployment rate in March fell to 3%, but weekly claims data released Thursday morning suggest it may be heading lower.

For the week ending April 17, 1,759 initial state unemployment claims were filed, an increase of more than 450 compared to the previous week. But continuing claims collected during the week ending April 10 fell by nearly 3,000 to 20,341.

In addition, federal continuing claims for the week ending April 3 fell by 1,725 to 7,810. Most of the individuals collecting federal benefits are self-employed but a good chunk is made up of those who have to stay home for Covid-related reasons, mainly to provide care to a dependent because of school or a daycare facility is closed.

With schools in New Hampshire fully reopening on April 19, that number should be going down further.