U.S. Department of Labor weekly jobless claims report

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to 211,000, Lowest Since May 2, Below Expectations

Jan 2, 2025, 01:31 PM

The U.S. Department of Labor reported that initial jobless claims for the week ending December 28 totaled 211,000, which was below the expected figure of 222,000 and the lowest since the week of May 2, 2024. This number represents a decrease of 9,000 from the revised figure of the previous week. Continuing claims for the week ending December 21 stood at 1.844 million, also below the anticipated 1.890 million, marking a reduction of 52,000 from the prior week's revised total. The four-week moving average for initial claims was reported at 223.25 thousand, down from the previous week's revised average of 226.75 thousand. The four-week moving average for continuing claims was 1.844 million, a decrease from the previous week's 1.896 million. These figures indicate a lower-than-expected number of jobless claims, suggesting a robust labor market.