PiCK
US Initial Jobless Claims Fall to 207,000, Below Forecast
Summary
- The US said last week’s initial jobless claims totaled 207,000, below economists’ forecast of 213,000.
- Continuing jobless claims totaled 1.818 million, above both the prior week’s revised 1.787 million and the market forecast of 1.81 million.
- Economists are watching employment indicators including jobless claims to assess the impact of President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
US initial jobless claims came in below market expectations last week.
The Labor Department said May 16 that initial jobless claims totaled 207,000 last week. That was 6,000 below economists’ forecast of 213,000 and down 11,000 from the prior week’s revised 218,000.
Continuing claims, which track the number of people receiving benefits for two consecutive weeks, totaled 1.818 million. That was up 31,000 from the prior week’s revised 1.787 million and 8,000 above the market forecast of 1.81 million.
Initial jobless claims are a closely watched gauge of whether the US labor market is overheating. An increase in claims can signal that labor-market tightness is easing.
Economists are watching employment indicators such as jobless claims to assess how President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies are affecting corporate decision-making.
JOON HYOUNG LEE
gilson@bloomingbit.ioCrypto Journalist based in Seoul
