The number of people claiming unemployment benefits fell by 2,000 to 197,000 in the week ending October 3, 2026, coming in below market expectations of 200,000 and marking the lowest initial claim count since the 60-year low of 189,000 in mid-July. Continuing claims, a gauge of ongoing unemployment in the US, rose by 17,000 to 1,716,000, remaining relatively close to the more-than-three-year low touched in the previous week. The data extended a period of resilience in the US labor market as the Federal Reserve continues to cite full employment. Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which remain in the spotlight due to the administration's push to shrink the public sector, rose by 26 to 395, remaining well below historical levels. source: U.S. Department of Labor

Initial Jobless Claims in the United States decreased to 197 thousand in the week ending October 3 of 2026 from 199 thousand in the previous week. Initial Jobless Claims in the United States averaged 359.01 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 October of 2026.

Initial Jobless Claims in the United States decreased to 197 thousand in the week ending October 3 of 2026 from 199 thousand in the previous week. Initial Jobless Claims in the United States is expected to be 211.00 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
2026-10-01 12:30 PM
Initial Jobless Claims
Sep/26 197K 198K 200K 195.0K
2026-10-08 12:30 PM
Initial Jobless Claims
Oct/03 197K 199K 200K 200.0K
2026-10-15 12:30 PM
Initial Jobless Claims
Oct/10 197K 197K 201.0K


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Continuing Jobless Claims - Federal Workers 5153.00 5119.00 People Sep 2026
Continuing Jobless Claims 1716.00 1699.00 Thousand Sep 2026
Initial Jobless Claims 197.00 199.00 Thousand Oct 2026
Initial Jobless Claims - Federal Workers 395.00 369.00 People Sep 2026
Jobless Claims 4-week Average 198.00 200.50 Thousand Oct 2026
Labour Costs 123.98 123.62 points Jun 2026
Productivity 120.02 119.59 points Jun 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
197.00 199.00 6137.00 162.00 1967 - 2026 Thousand Weekly
Volume, SA

News Stream
US Initial Jobless Claims at Over 2-Month Low
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits fell by 2,000 to 197,000 in the week ending October 3, 2026, coming in below market expectations of 200,000 and marking the lowest initial claim count since the 60-year low of 189,000 in mid-July. Continuing claims, a gauge of ongoing unemployment in the US, rose by 17,000 to 1,716,000, remaining relatively close to the more-than-three-year low touched in the previous week. The data extended a period of resilience in the US labor market as the Federal Reserve continues to cite full employment. Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which remain in the spotlight due to the administration's push to shrink the public sector, rose by 26 to 395, remaining well below historical levels.
2026-10-08
US Jobless Claims Fall to Lowest Level Since July
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell by 1,000 to 197,000 in the week ended September 26, below expectations of 200,000 and down from a revised 198,000, according to the US Department of Labor. Claims reached their lowest level since the 57-year low of 189,000 recorded in mid-July, pointing to continued resilience in the US labor market despite growing headwinds from the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has pushed diesel prices to record levels. Economists say robust corporate profits and resilient domestic demand are helping shield workers from layoffs, while employers appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach amid elevated energy costs, uncertainty over the conflict in Iran, potential Fed rate increases and an unsettled trade policy that could push costs higher. Continuing claims fell by 11,000 to 1.701 million in the week ended September 19, the lowest since April 2023.
2026-10-01
US Initial Jobless Claims Approach 60-Year Low
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits fell by 10,000 to 196,000 in the second week of September, the least since the 60-year low of 189,000 from July, and well under market expectations of 208,000. Continuing claims, a gauge of outstanding unemployment in the US, fell by 39,000 to 1,730,000 in the first week, the lowest since January of 2024. The data extended the period of resilience in the US labor market as the Federal Reserve cites full employment. Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which have added spotlight on the administration's signal to shrink the of public sector, rose by 10 to 398, well below historical levels.
2026-09-17