I couldn't help but laugh as I perused the stories being pumped out by the mainstream press on Thursday. “Jobless claims are at a historic low,” they proclaim, but then instantly pivot to how this is not actually a good thing.
“BUT!” they cry. “Economists claim that…” this terrible thing is happening, or this huge threat is about to overwhelm us. They can’t just say, “Wow, we haven’t seen numbers like this since the Summer of Love in 1969; that’s a positive development.”
But here’s the reality:
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits tumbled to their lowest level more than 50 years last week despite a number of economic headwinds including the war in Iran.
U.S. jobless aid applications for the week ending April 25 fell by 26,000 to 189,000, down from the previous week’s 215,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s well below the 214,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet were expecting.
Filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.
And even ABC had to say it; wait for it…
According to High Frequency Economics, this week’s number for new jobless aid applications was the fewest since September of 1969.
"TRULY INCREDIBLE": Brand new data shows initial jobless claims last week fell to the lowest since 1969. pic.twitter.com/BxHpoQVnaC
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 30, 2026
MORE ‘TROUBLING’ NEWS: Bessent Sounds Off on Jerome Powell: Staying at Fed 'Flies in Face of Tradition'
Although the conflict in Iran has caused a spike in oil prices — meaning higher costs at the pump — there are numerous positive signs in the economy. The markets, which aren’t a perfect indicator of economic health but can symbolize investors’ outlook for the future, are soaring, led by the S&P 500, which has risen 17.5 percent since Trump retook the Oval Office.
As I wrote earlier in April, many people feel that the markets have little effect on their lives, but it’s about more than just the “elite” benefiting from their good health:
Some will undoubtedly say, "Who cares about the markets? It doesn’t help me that they’re doing well; it’s just a bunch of Wall Street dudes raking it in." The reality is, however, that the indexes have effects throughout the economy, and many regular people who aren’t hedge fund managers have 401(k)s, pensions, and mutual funds. They certainly wouldn’t be feeling too good if the market were headed down.
Similarly, a positive jobless rate is a good thing for the economy overall:
‼️ President Trump continues smashing expectations
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 30, 2026
NEWSNATION: “That came in, again, better than expected. 189,000 initial jobless claims...the expectation was 215,000.” pic.twitter.com/n7hmKb6p9z
Affordability remains one of the top concerns among Americans, and with good reason: everything seems significantly more expensive than it did just five years ago. I vividly remember the days of 9.1 percent Bidenflation, and checking out at the grocery store only to feel like I’d been punched in the stomach. These are real concerns.
But as much as the media tries, they can’t avoid the fact that there are many positive signs, too. This jobless number is one more.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and bold policies, America’s economy is back on track.
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