The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US fell by 2,000 to 215,000 on the week to July 4th, below expectations that it would rise to 218,000. Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are seen as a gauge of outstanding unemployment in the US, rose by 8,000 to 1,814,000 in the last full week of June, the highest since late March but below expectations of 1,820,000. While the levels remained slightly above those observed in the start of the second quarter, the data continued to support the view of a low-firing labor market. Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which have been under scrutiny due the administration's efforts in decreasing the number of public workers, fell by 40 to 404. source: U.S. Department of Labor

Initial Jobless Claims in the United States decreased to 215 thousand in the week ending July 4 of 2026 from 217 thousand in the previous week. Initial Jobless Claims in the United States averaged 359.67 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 July of 2026.

Initial Jobless Claims in the United States decreased to 215 thousand in the week ending July 4 of 2026 from 217 thousand in the previous week. Initial Jobless Claims in the United States is expected to be 227.00 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
2026-07-02 12:30 PM
Initial Jobless Claims
Jun/27 215K 216K 220K 210.0K
2026-07-09 12:30 PM
Initial Jobless Claims
Jul/04 215K 217K 218K 220.0K
2026-07-16 12:30 PM
Initial Jobless Claims
Jul/11 215K 218K 216.0K


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Continuing Jobless Claims - Federal Workers 6478.00 6861.00 People Jun 2026
Continuing Jobless Claims 1814.00 1806.00 Thousand Jun 2026
Initial Jobless Claims 215.00 217.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Initial Jobless Claims - Federal Workers 404.00 444.00 People Jun 2026
Jobless Claims 4-week Average 218.75 222.50 Thousand Jul 2026
Labour Costs 123.78 123.22 points Mar 2026
Productivity 119.40 119.35 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
215.00 217.00 6137.00 162.00 1967 - 2026 Thousand Weekly
Volume, SA

News Stream
US Initial Jobless Claims Fall to 6-Week Low
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US fell by 2,000 to 215,000 on the week to July 4th, below expectations that it would rise to 218,000. Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are seen as a gauge of outstanding unemployment in the US, rose by 8,000 to 1,814,000 in the last full week of June, the highest since late March but below expectations of 1,820,000. While the levels remained slightly above those observed in the start of the second quarter, the data continued to support the view of a low-firing labor market. Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which have been under scrutiny due the administration's efforts in decreasing the number of public workers, fell by 40 to 404.
2026-07-09
US Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Ease
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US fell by 1,000 from the previous week in the last full week of June, the lowest in five weeks, and below market expectations of 220,000. Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are seen as a gauge of outstanding unemployment in the US, rose by 2,000 to 1,814,000 in the third week of June, the highest in three months. The claim counts were higher than those observed in the start of the second quarter, but remained robust on historical standards, maintaining the trend of low firing and low hiring. Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which have been under scrutiny due the administration's efforts in decreasing the number of public workers, rose by 13 to 44.
2026-07-02
US Initial Jobless Claims Fall More than Expected
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US eased by 12,000 to 215,000 on the third week of June, the lowest in four weeks, and below market expectations of 225,000. Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are seen as a gauge of outstanding unemployment in the US, rose by 21,000 from to 1,821,000 in the first week of June, the highest in three months. The claim counts were higher than those observed in the start of the second quarter, but remained robust on historical standards, maintaining the trend of low firing and low hiring. Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which have been under scrutiny due the administration's efforts in decreasing the number of public workers, fell by 61 to 431.
2026-06-25