Continuing jobless claims in the United States which are seen as a proxy for the number of people receiving unemployment benefits, increased to 1868 thousand in the week ending February 21st 2026, the highest in seven weeks, from 1822 thousand in the previous week and compared to forecasts of 1850 thousand. source: U.S. Department of Labor

Continuing Jobless Claims in the United States increased to 1868 thousand in the week ending February 21 of 2026 from 1822 thousand in the previous week. Continuing Jobless Claims in the United States averaged 2732.19 Thousand from 1967 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 23130.00 Thousand in May of 2020 and a record low of 988.00 Thousand in May of 1969. This page provides the latest reported value for - United States Continuing Jobless Claims - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. United States Continuing Jobless Claims - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

Continuing Jobless Claims in the United States increased to 1868 thousand in the week ending February 21 of 2026 from 1822 thousand in the previous week. Continuing Jobless Claims in the United States is expected to be 1950.00 Thousand by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United States Continuing Jobless Claims is projected to trend around 2010.00 Thousand in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-02-26 01:30 PM
Continuing Jobless Claims
Feb/14 1833K 1864K 1860K 1872.0K
2026-03-05 01:30 PM
Continuing Jobless Claims
Feb/21 1868K 1822K 1850K 1840.0K
2026-03-12 12:30 PM
Continuing Jobless Claims
Feb/28 1868K 1850K 1841.0K


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Continuing Jobless Claims - Federal Workers 11982.00 12657.00 People Feb 2026
Continuing Jobless Claims 1868.00 1822.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Initial Jobless Claims 213.00 213.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Initial Jobless Claims - Federal Workers 529.00 554.00 People Feb 2026
Jobless Claims 4-week Average 215.75 220.50 Thousand Feb 2026
Labour Costs 122.55 121.72 points Dec 2025
Productivity 119.64 118.81 points Dec 2025


United States Continuing Jobless Claims
Continuing Jobless Claims refer to actual number of unemployed and currently receiving unemployment benefits who filed for unemployment benefits at least two weeks ago.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
1868.00 1822.00 23130.00 988.00 1967 - 2026 Thousand Weekly
Volume, SA

News Stream
Continuing Jobless Claims Drop to Three-Month Low
Continuing jobless claims in the United States, a key indicator of the number of people receiving unemployment benefits, declined to 1,866 thousand in the week ending December 20th, 2025, down from a downwardly revised 1,913 thousand in the prior week. This marked the lowest level in three weeks, reflecting seasonal volatility during the holiday period.
2025-12-31
Continuing Jobless Claims Fall to Lowest Since April 2025
Continuing jobless claims in the United States, a key indicator of the number of people receiving unemployment benefits, declined to 1,838 thousand in the week ending November 29th, 2025, down from a downwardly revised 1,937 thousand in the prior week. This marked the lowest level since April 12, 2025, and fell significantly short of the forecasted 1,950 thousand.The drop suggests a modest improvement in the labor market, with fewer Americans receiving unemployment benefits for extended periods.
2025-12-11
Continuing Claims Edge Lower but Hold Close to 2021 Peaks
Continuing jobless claims in the United States which are seen as a proxy for the number of people receiving unemployment benefits, decreased to 1939 thousand in the week ending November 22nd 2025, the lowest in seven weeks, from a downwardly revised 1943 thousand in the previous period, and below forecasts of 1960 thousand. Despite the recent decline, continuing claims remain near their highest level since 2021 amid a cooling labour market, making it harder for unemployed Americans to secure new jobs.
2025-12-04