US Initial Jobless Claims Inch Down

2026-05-21 12:38 By Andre Joaquim 1 min. read

The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US fell by 3,000 to 209,000 on the second week of May, aligned with market expectations of 210,000.

In the meantime, continuing jobless claims, which are a proxy for outstanding unemployment, rose by 6,000 to 1,782,000, slightly under the expectations of 1,790,000.

The results extended the period of stability since the declines in initial claims earlier this year, maintain the backdrop of a robust labor market and adding leeway for the Fed to remain restrictive.

Meanwhile, initial claims filed by federal employees, which have been under scrutiny due to government shutdowns that have delayed unemployment insurance filing, rose by 32 to 424.



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