Jobless claims grew moderately last week, but remains relatively stagnant.  Â
According to the U.S. Labor Department’s most recent unemployment report, jobless applications grew to 230,000 in the week ending December 3 — a 4,000 claim increase from the previous week. However, unemployment is still sitting at 3.7%, near a 50-year low.  Â
The Federal Reserve has continued to hike interest rates up in an effort to cool inflation and slow consumer spending, but the U.S. is still adding jobs at a higher-than-expected rate.  Â
Last month, employers added 263,000 jobs, a concern for the Fed that is desperately trying to reduce consumer spending and alleviate bottlenecks in the supply chain.  Â
Because unemployment levels remain on the lower end, experts suggest that workers are turning to more job security in the face of an uncertain economic future. Â
Around 1.67 million Americans received unemployment in the week ending November 26, which is a 10-month high but still low compared to historical averages.Â
