US jobless claims at 52-year low

About 1.42 million Americans were collecting traditional unemployment benefits in the week of April 9 — the fewest since 1970

The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States took place on January 20, 2021. EPA

Vice President Kamala Harris, left, is sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, right. EPA

Joe Biden stands with his wife, Jill Biden, as he is given the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts of the Supreme Court. EPA

US President Joe Biden signs an executive order on Covid-19 during his first minutes in the Oval Office. EPA

The US president and first lady address the National Football League Super Bowl LV between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on February 7. EPA

Mr Biden, left, Ms Biden, second left, Ms Harris, third left, and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff hold a moment of silence outside the White House on February 22 for the 500,000 Americans who have died from Covid-19. EPA

German Chancellor Angela Merkel takes part in the virtual international climate summit with Mr Biden on April 22 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images

Mr Biden delivers his first address to a joint session of Congress on April 28 as Ms Harris, second right, and speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi applaud. EPA

Mr Biden and the first lady are driven away following their arrival at the White House on April 29. EPA

The president's wax figure is unveiled at Musee Grevin in Paris, France, on May 18. Getty Images

Mr Biden addresses US Air Force personnel on June 9 at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall. Getty Images

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks with Mr Biden during a meeting ahead of the G7 summit. Getty Images

Left to right, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President of the European Council Charles Michel, Mr Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Mr Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Ms Merkel pose during the G7 Summit In Carbis Bay. Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II, centre, with Mr Biden and the first lady in the Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle on June 13. Getty Images

Mr Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet during the US-Russia summit at Villa La Grange on June 16 in Geneva, Switzerland. Getty Images

Mr Biden delivers remarks on Afghanistan in the East Room of the White House on August 16. EPA

Mr Johnson, left, Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison, centre, and Mr Biden attend a press conference via audio visual link from Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. EPA

President Biden receives his coronavirus booster vaccination in Washington on September 27. Reuters

Mr Biden meets with members of his administration, business leaders and CEOs regarding the need to address the debt limit, on October 6. EPA

The US president walks past Swiss Guards as he arrives for a private audience with Pope Francis at the San Damaso courtyard in Vatican City on October 29. EPA

Mr Biden arrives for the Cop26 UN Climate Summit on November 1 in Glasgow, Scotland. Getty Images

Mr Biden, surrounded by lawmakers, signs the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on the South Lawn of the White House on November 15. EPA

Mr Biden and his wife attend the 2021 National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the Ellipse in Washington on December 2. EPA

Mr and Mrs Biden at the casket of former senator Robert J Dole in Washington on December 9. EPA

People walk past a big screen showing Mr Biden, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attending a virtual summit on November 16. EPA

Mr Biden, centre, stands with former Kentucky governor Steve Beshear, left, and Dane Maddox as he inspects damage from a tornado that struck the state on December 10. EPA

The president and the first lady pet their dog, a German Shepherd puppy named Commander, while virtually meeting with United States military service members on Christmas Day in the White House. EPA

Mr Biden marks the one-year anniversary of the Capitol attack on January 6. EPA

Applications for unemployment benefits inched down last week, as the total number of Americans collecting aid fell to its lowest level in more than 50 years.

Jobless claims fell by 2,000 to 184,000, the Labour Department announced, setting another record for the administration of US President Joe Biden.

About 1.42 million Americans were collecting traditional unemployment benefits in the week of April 9 — the fewest since February 21, 1970.

During the administration of previous president Donald Trump, the economy lost 2.9 million jobs and the unemployment rate increased by 1.6 percentage points to 6.3 per cent, according to FactCheck.org.

Historically, presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan saw the highest number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits.

Mr Ford took over the presidency in 1972 after Richard Nixon resigned amid the Watergate scandal. He lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter, who created more jobs in one term than any other post-World War Two president.

Mr Reagan defeated Mr Carter in the 1980 election and served two terms as president.

The 1973 recession dragged on into 1975 and unemployment reached a new post-World War Two record of 9 per cent in May 1975. The lowest it recovered to during Mr Ford’s presidency was 7.4 per cent in May 1976.

Surging oil prices and the Iran hostage crisis did not help Mr Ford's successor, Jimmy Carter though he created more jobs in his one term than many two-term presidents.

Two years after the coronavirus pandemic plunged the economy into a brief but devastating recession, some American workers are enjoying extraordinary job security.

Workers at Target stores and distribution centres in places such as New York, where competition for finding and hiring staff is the fiercest, could receive starting wages as high as $24 an hour this year. AP

Walmart announced it will now train its drivers and supply the lorries for them. Getty Images / AFP

Most drivers must pay for their own vehicle, and its maintenance and insurance. Walmart said it will now pay for upkeep and overheads. AP

An average Apple retail sales associate is paid about $16.67 an hour in the US, 32 per cent above the national average but still not a sustainable wage amid inflation. Reuters

Employees at the Apple Store at the Grand Central Terminal in New York have begun the process of unionisation. Getty Images / AFP

Verizon has increased its minimum wage to $20 an hour for new and current employees. EPA

“These changes are the direct result of employee feedback and will help us remain an attractive employer in this competitive environment," said Krista Bourne, chief operating officer for Verizon Consumer Group. Reuters

In-person tutors can make anywhere from $45 to $100 an hour. Photo: Chatterbox

On average, pay for online tutoring starts at about $25 an hour. AP

Website testing can be very lucrative, with some workers reporting making more than $65,000 a year. Reuters

Weekly applications for unemployment aid, which broadly track with layoffs, have remained consistently below the pre-pandemic level of 225,000.

Last year, employers added a record 6.7 million jobs, and they’ve added an average of 560,000 more each month so far in 2022.

The unemployment rate, which soared to 14.7 per cent in April 2020 in the depths of the Covid-19 recession, is now just 3.6 per cent, barely above the lowest point in 50 years. And there is a record proportion of 1.7 job openings for every unemployed American.

The US job market and overall economy has shown remarkable resiliency despite ongoing supply chain breakdowns, the economic consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the highest consumer inflation in 40 years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report