US Initial Jobless Claims Rise to 211,000, Above Forecast

US initial jobless claims rose more than expected last week.

The Labor Department said on May 14 that initial jobless claims totaled 211,000 last week. That was 6,000 above economists’ forecast of 205,000 and 12,000 higher than the previous week’s revised 199,000.

Continuing claims, which reflect the number of people receiving unemployment benefits for two consecutive weeks, totaled 1.782 million. That was up 24,000 from the previous week’s revised 1.758 million, but 8,000 below the market forecast of 1.79 million.

Initial jobless claims are a closely watched indicator of conditions in the US labor market. An increase in claims can signal that an overheated labor market is beginning to cool.

Economists are monitoring employment indicators, including jobless claims, to gauge how President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies are affecting corporate decision-making.