The number of workers applying for unemployment benefits in the United States inched down last week to a fresh pandemic-era low, suggesting further tightening in the labor market. First-time filings for unemployment insurance—a proxy for layoffs—came in at 268,000 for the week ending Nov. 13, the Labor Department said in a report (pdf). That’s 1,000 fewer unemployment claims than in the prior week and the lowest level since March 2020, which saw 256,000 filings. Continuing claims, which run a week behind the initial filings figure and reflect the total number of people receiving benefits through traditional state programs, fell by 129,000 to 2.08 million—also a pandemic-era low. “Employers having difficulty finding workers are holding on tight to their current rosters, as evidenced by the consistent declines in new unemployment claim filings,” Bankrate Chief Financial Analyst Greg McBride told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. A recent report from the …