Initial claims rose slightly above forecasts, while continuing claims also exceeded expectations, signaling potential labor market softening.
US initial jobless claims climbed to 226,000 for the week, surpassing the 225,000 estimate. Continuing claims reached 1.810 million, above the 1.795 million forecast.
The prior week’s initial claims stood at 219,000, while continuing claims were 1.795 million. The four-week moving average for both metrics remained steady but elevated compared to recent trends.
The data suggests a modest uptick in labor market slack, though levels remain historically low.