US initial jobless claims at 213,000, slightly below estimates

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits last week came in below market expectations.

The US Department of Labor said on the 12th (local time) that initial jobless claims totaled 213,000 last week. That was 1,000 below economists’ forecast of 214,000. It was also 1,000 fewer than the prior week’s revised figure of 214,000.

Continuing claims—filed by those who have claimed benefits for two consecutive weeks—were tallied at 1.85 million. That was 21,000 below the previous week’s revised level of 1.871 million. The figure matched market expectations of 1.85 million.

Initial jobless claims are an indicator for gauging tightness in the US labor market. An increase in claims can be interpreted as a sign that an overheated labor market is cooling.

Analysts are watching employment indicators such as jobless claims to assess how US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies are affecting corporate decision-making.