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5d ago

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to 214,000 as Continuing Claims Edge Higher

Elevated rolls of ongoing beneficiaries point to weak hiring despite seasonally noisy data.

FILE - Applicants line up at a job fair at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City N.J., on April 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry, File)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 03: A 'Now Hiring' sign is posted outside of a business on October 03, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Due to the U.S. Government shutdown the Bureau of Labor Statistics will not be releasing September's employment data. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Signage for a job fair is seen on 5th Avenue after the release of the jobs report in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 3, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
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Overview

  • New applications for unemployment benefits fell by 10,000 to 214,000 for the week ended Dec. 20, coming in below forecasts.
  • The four-week moving average slipped to 216,750, reinforcing that headline layoffs remain relatively low.
  • Continuing claims rose by 38,000 to about 1.923 million in the week ended Dec. 13, which aligns with the survey window for December’s unemployment rate.
  • Late-December claims data are prone to volatility from seasonal adjustments, with earlier measurement disruptions from a 43-day government shutdown still complicating interpretation.
  • The Federal Reserve cut its policy rate by 25 basis points this month to 3.50%–3.75% and has indicated a wait-and-see approach as it evaluates labor and inflation trends.