US Initial Claims Below Forecasts, Continuing Jump

2026-04-16 12:36 By Joana Taborda 1 min. read

The number of people claiming for unemployment benefits in the US fell to 207K in the week ended April 11th 2026 from a downwardly revised 218K in the previous week which was the highest value since early February.

The figure came in below forecasts of 215K, marking the largest weekly decline since February and signaling that layoffs remain limited, as both the labour market and the broader economy continue to demonstrate resilience.

The 4-week moving average which excludes week-to-week volatility was 209,750, an increase of 500 from the previous week's revised average of 209.25K.

Meanwhile, continuing claims which are seen as a proxy for the number of people receiving unemployment benefits, went up to 1818K in the week ended April 4th, an increase of 31K from the previous week's revised level.



News Stream
US Initial Claims Inch Down
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US eased by 4,000 from the four-month high in the previous week to 226,000 in the second week of June, loosely aligned with market expectations of 225,000. Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are seen as a gauge of outstanding unemployment in the US, rose by 24,000 from to 1,810,000 in the first week of June, the highest in nearly three months. Albeit consolidating the departure from the strong levels since the start of the second quarter, the figures 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 56 to 497.
2026-06-18
US Initial Jobless Claims Rise to 3-Month High
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US rose by 4,000 to a three-month high of 229,000 in the first week of June, firmly above market expectations of a decrease to 219,000. Meanwhile, continuing claims, which are seen as a gauge of outstanding unemployment in the US, rose to 24,000 to 1,795,000, slightly above expectations of 1,780,000. While marking a momentary departure from the low figures from early May, the data continued to reflect a relatively strong labor market in historical standards, extending the period of a low-firing labor backdrop. 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 89 to 553.
2026-06-11
US Initial Jobless Claims Rise to 3-Month High
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US rose by 13,000 to 225,000 in the last week of May, above market expectations of 212,000. It was the highest initial claim count since the first week of February. Still, continuing jobless claims, which are seen as a gauge of outstanding unemployment in the US, eased by 8,000 in the earlier week to 1,777,000. While failing to maintain the low levels of the last quarter, the figure remained within the average of the last two years, extending the period of a low-firing labor backdrop. 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 37 to 464.
2026-06-04