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2026-02-19 21:44:38
[US Initial Jobless Claims Fall More Than Expected, Labor Market Signals Stabilization] ⑴ Data released by the US Department of Labor on Thursday showed that initial jobless claims fell by 23,000 in the week ending February 14, to a seasonally adjusted 206,000, far below market expectations of 225,000. Previously, the figure had jumped to 232,000 at the end of January. ⑵ The minutes of the Federal Reserve's January meeting released on Wednesday showed that "the vast majority of participants judged that the labor market showed some signs of stabilization." However, policymakers remain concerned about downside risks to the labor market, with some officials pointing out that if labor demand further declines amid sluggish hiring, the unemployment rate could rise sharply. ⑶ This initial claims data covers the period during which the government surveyed employers for the wage portion of the February non-farm payroll report. Job growth accelerated in January, but almost all new jobs came from healthcare and social assistance sectors. Economists point out that immigration policy is constraining job growth, tariff uncertainty continues to suppress hiring, and artificial intelligence has added new cautionary factors. (4) In the week ending February 7, continuing jobless claims rose by 17,000 to 1.869 million, indicating that laid-off workers are facing difficulties finding new jobs. The median duration of unemployment is near a four-year high. The lack of hiring has severely impacted recent college graduates, who are ineligible for unemployment benefits due to their lack of or limited work experience and are therefore not included in the statistics.
