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2026-09-17 20:36:09
[US Initial Jobless Claims Fall to 196,000, Lower Than Expected] ⑴ For the week ending September 12, initial jobless claims in the US were 196,000, compared to an expected 208,000 and a previous reading of 206,000. ⑵ The four-week moving average of initial jobless claims was 203,250, compared to a previous reading of 206,000. ⑶ Continuing jobless claims were 1.73 million, compared to an expected 1.78 million, with the previous reading revised down from 1.774 million to 1.769 million. ⑷ The four-week moving average of continuing jobless claims was 1.761 million, compared to a previous reading of 1.778 million. ⑸ The insured unemployment rate was 1.1%, compared to a previous reading of 1.2%. ⑹ Initial jobless claims in the US decreased by 10,000 to 196,000, significantly lower than the expected 208,000. The four-week moving average also declined, indicating that the improvement was not solely due to fluctuations in a single reporting week. (7) Continuing jobless claims fell by 39,000 to 1.73 million, also better than expected. Furthermore, the previous week's figure was revised down from 1.774 million to 1.769 million. Combined, these figures indicate reduced layoffs and improved ability for unemployed workers to find new jobs. (8) Unadjusted initial jobless claims fell by 13.9%, compared to a seasonally expected decline of 9.3%. Unadjusted continuing jobless claims fell by 5.6%, compared to an expected decline of 3.5%. (9) Initial jobless claims below 200,000 indicate that layoffs remain low; the decline in continuing jobless claims suggests that finding another job is easier. (10) For the Federal Reserve, this report supports the view that the labor market remains resilient. This report alone may reduce the urgency for further rate cuts or provide support for tightening policy given that inflation remains high.
