All articles tagged with #unemployment claims
Gold extended its rally despite only modest shifts in U.S. initial jobless claims, with spot prices around $4,467/oz as traders weigh the labor market’s resilience against expectations for Fed policy and upcoming non-farm payrolls data.
Initial unemployment claims rose to 197,000 for the week ending July 25, up 9,000 from the prior week, with the four-week moving average at 202,750. The insured unemployment rate held at 1.2% for the week ending July 18, and seasonally unadjusted claims totaled 175,573, down 17,803 from the previous week, reflecting seasonal factors noted by the Labor Department.
U.S. weekly unemployment-benefit claims fell to 187,000 for the week ending July 18, the lowest since Sept. 1969 and well below forecasts, signaling a still-tight labor market despite higher energy costs. The four-week moving average dropped to 207,500, while the June report showed only 57,000 new jobs and the unemployment rate at 4.2%, aided in part by people leaving the labor force. Energy-price pressures and potential war-related disruptions could pose risks to hiring going forward.
U.S. Treasury yields climbed as Brent crude rose above $100, pushing the 10-year yield to about 4.707% (its highest since Jan 2025) while the 2-year rose to 4.362% and the 30-year to 5.183%; the rally in oil was driven by Middle East tensions and Iran risk, coupled with weekly jobless claims falling to 187,000, sparking inflation fears and prompting investors to await Friday’s PMIs for more clues.
Gold steadies around $4,250/oz after US initial jobless claims for the week ended June 13 came in at 226,000, in line with forecasts; spot gold dipped to about $4,240 earlier, with a four-week moving average of new claims at 223,250 and continuing claims at 1.81 million.
U.S. initial jobless claims fell to 226,000 for the week ended June 13, but the level remains elevated and continuing claims rose to 1.81 million, signaling a still-sturdy labor market. Payroll growth has picked up in recent months, with May gains around 172,000, and the unemployment rate stable near 4.3%. The Fed kept rates steady but signaled possible rate increases later this year as inflation remains a concern, while seasonal distortions from the school calendar may have affected the claims data.
U.S. weekly filings for unemployment benefits rose to 211,000, signaling ongoing labor-market strength but the Iran conflict weighs on the economic outlook.
March 2026 core PCE rose 0.3% month-over-month (3.2% year-over-year), with total inflation up 0.7% and 3.5% year-over-year when including energy and food. GDP grew 2.0% annualized in Q1 2026, while unemployment claims fell to 189,000. The Fed kept rates unchanged amid persistent inflation, with four dissents over policy phrasing, as energy costs and goods price pressures remained a key driver of inflation.
The Dow Jones declined about 0.6% as January planned layoffs jumped 118% year-over-year to 108,435—the highest since 2009—led by UPS and Amazon; hiring slowed to 5,306 new hires, while JOLTS showed 6.542 million job openings (below the 7.25 million expected). Initial jobless claims rose to 231,000 and continuing claims to 1.844 million, signaling softer labor conditions and weighing on the Dow, with tech names and the DIA ETF contributing to the declines.
December JOLTS data show job openings fell to 6.5 million and the openings rate to 3.9%, while hiring rose only modestly to 3.3%, signaling softer demand for workers. The downturn is echoed by rising unemployment claims and notable layoffs, though some indicators (like Bank of America data) suggest pockets of improvement, leaving the labor market in a fragile stabilization phase that could influence Fed decisions.
U.S. stocks fell more than 1% as January labor data showed rising job cuts, higher initial jobless claims, and softer job openings, fueling bets on Fed rate cuts; SPY and QQQ closed lower while odds of a 25-basis-point cut by the March FOMC rose to about 21%.
US Labor Department data show seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims rose to 231,000 in the week ending Jan. 31, up 22,000 from the prior week, with the 4-week moving average at 212,250. The insured unemployment rate held at 1.2% for the week ending Jan. 24, and the number of people receiving unemployment benefits rose to 1,844,000 (up 25,000). The figures indicate a modest uptick in layoffs but remain in a low, historically healthy range.
Initial U.S. unemployment claims totaled 209,000 for the week ending Jan 24, down 1,000 from the revised prior week of 210,000. The four-week moving average rose to 206,250. The insured unemployment rate remained at 1.2% for the week ending Jan 17, with 1,827,000 people insured unemployed, down 38,000 from the previous week and the lowest level since Sept 21, 2024.
Despite fears of a slowing labor market, initial unemployment claims dropped significantly to 218,000, well below expectations, indicating resilience in the economy. This, coupled with strong GDP growth and increased consumer spending, suggests the economy remains solid even as the Federal Reserve considers further rate cuts. However, some sectors like housing show signs of recovery, and the labor market's overall health remains a key focus for policymakers.
Jobless benefit applications in the US rose to 263,000 last week, the highest in nearly four years, signaling potential Federal Reserve interest rate cuts amid concerns over a weakening labor market and persistent inflation, despite recent revisions showing weaker-than-expected job growth and a slowdown in economic expansion.