Stay Informed: Live Updates on Trump’s Education Initiatives, Tariff Relief, and Hamas Developments | CNN Politics

Last week, the number of new applications for unemployment benefits dropped. However, experts believe this trend might change soon due to significant job cuts by the Trump administration.

For the week ending March 1, around 221,000 people filed for unemployment benefits, according to the Department of Labor. This was 21,000 fewer than the previous week and lower than the predicted 235,000 claims.

The recent drop in first-time claims comes after a surprising spike the week before. That increase likely stemmed from temporary issues like holiday impacts, a winter storm, and extremely cold weather.

The report also indicated continuing claims, which track those who have received at least a week of benefits, rose by 42,000 to nearly 1.9 million for the week ending February 22.

While initial claims are a key indicator of the job market’s health, they can be unpredictable. Weekly numbers can change due to weather, seasonal layoffs, or other local factors.

The recent unemployment data is drawing more attention. The ongoing government job cuts and decreased spending from the Trump administration could have broader effects on the economy, including in the private sector.

According to the Labor Department, there were 1,634 claims from federal workers for unemployment benefits in the week ending February 22. This was an increase of 1,020 claims from the previous week.

With potential layoffs affecting hundreds of thousands of government workers, the full impact on the job market may unfold gradually. Some federal employees are currently in paid notice periods, meaning they’ve resigned but remain on the payroll for a time.