Jobless claims close to pre-pandemic levels

Heading into Thanksgiving and the holiday shopping rush, Florida had its lowest four-week run of new unemployment claims since before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the number of claims nationally, driven by strong job growth amid pre-holiday consumer spending, hit a five-decade low. The U.S. Department of Labor on Nov. 24 estimated 5,343 first-time unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended Nov. 20, putting the average during the past four weeks at 6,045…