The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US rose by 10,000 from the from the count in previous week, which tied for the lowest since 1969, to 200,000 in the last week of April. It was below market expectations of 205,000 to remain firmly under the recent and historical average. Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are a proxy for outstanding unemployment in the US, fell by 10,000 to 1,766,000 on the week ending April 25th, the lowest in over two years and contrasting with expectations of an increase to 1,800,000. The data consolidated recent signals of a robust labor market in the US despite momentary signs of stress earlier in the year and repeated headlines indicating job cuts by major companies. Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which have been under scrutiny due to government shutdowns, fell by 8 claims to 438. source: U.S. Department of Labor

Initial Jobless Claims in the United States increased to 200 thousand in the week ending May 2 of 2026 from 190 thousand in the previous week. Initial Jobless Claims in the United States averaged 360.08 Thousand from 1967 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 6137.00 Thousand in April of 2020 and a record low of 162.00 Thousand in November of 1968. This page provides the latest reported value for - United States Initial Jobless Claims - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. United States Initial Jobless Claims - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on May of 2026.

Initial Jobless Claims in the United States increased to 200 thousand in the week ending May 2 of 2026 from 190 thousand in the previous week. Initial Jobless Claims in the United States is expected to be 240.00 Thousand by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United States Initial Jobless Claims is projected to trend around 235.00 Thousand in 2027 and 240.00 Thousand in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-04-30 12:30 PM
Initial Jobless Claims
Apr/25 189K 215K 215K 219.0K
2026-05-07 12:30 PM
Initial Jobless Claims
May/02 200K 190K 205K 205.0K
2026-05-14 12:30 PM
Initial Jobless Claims
May/09 200K 205K 209.0K


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Continuing Jobless Claims - Federal Workers 8670.00 9343.00 People Apr 2026
Continuing Jobless Claims 1766.00 1776.00 Thousand Apr 2026
Initial Jobless Claims 200.00 190.00 Thousand May 2026
Initial Jobless Claims - Federal Workers 438.00 446.00 People Apr 2026
Jobless Claims 4-week Average 203.25 207.75 Thousand May 2026
Labour Costs 122.55 121.72 points Dec 2025
Productivity 119.58 119.35 points Mar 2026


United States Initial Jobless Claims
Initial jobless claims refer to the number of people who have filed for unemployment benefits with their state's unemployment agency for the first time during a specific reporting period, typically on a weekly basis. .
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
200.00 190.00 6137.00 162.00 1967 - 2026 Thousand Weekly
Volume, SA

News Stream
US Initial Jobless Claims Rise Less than Expected
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US rose by 10,000 from the from the count in previous week, which tied for the lowest since 1969, to 200,000 in the last week of April. It was below market expectations of 205,000 to remain firmly under the recent and historical average. Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are a proxy for outstanding unemployment in the US, fell by 10,000 to 1,766,000 on the week ending April 25th, the lowest in over two years and contrasting with expectations of an increase to 1,800,000. The data consolidated recent signals of a robust labor market in the US despite momentary signs of stress earlier in the year and repeated headlines indicating job cuts by major companies. Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which have been under scrutiny due to government shutdowns, fell by 8 claims to 438.
2026-05-07
US Initial Jobless Claims Lowest Since 1969
Initial Jobless Claims sank by 26,000 from the previous week to 189,000 on the period ending April 25th, well below market expectations of 215,000, to mark the lowest since 1969. Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are seen as a proxy for outstanding unemployment in the US, fell by 23,000 to 1,785,000 on the previous week, the lowest in two years. New filings remained low despite announcements of job cuts by large companies such as Meta and Nike. The data consolidated recent signals of a robust labor market in the US despite momentary signs of stress earlier in the year.
2026-04-30
US Jobless Claims Inch Higher as Expected
The number of people claiming for unemployment benefits in the US rose by 6,000 to 214,000 on the week ending April 18th, not too far from median market expectations of 212,000. In the meantime, continuing unemployment claims, which are seen as a proxy for outstanding unemployment in the US, inched higher by 12,000 to 1,821,000 in the earlier week. Both counts were firmly below the average from the previous year, consolidating the ongoing trend of low firing activity that is repeatedly stated by the Federal Reserve. Initial claims filed by federal employees, which have been under scrutiny as markets measure the impact of government shutdowns, fell by 60 to 452.
2026-04-23