What it measures
Initial claims count new applications for unemployment insurance filed with state agencies. The calendar shows the seasonally adjusted number in thousands. Continuing claims, the number of people still receiving benefits, are published in the same report.
Who publishes it and when
The Department of Labor publishes the report every week, usually on Thursday at 08:30 New York time, for the week that ended the previous Saturday. Holiday weeks can move the day.
How it is put together
Each state reports the claims it received. The national figure is seasonally adjusted, which matters a lot around holidays, school terms and car plant shutdowns, when claims swing for reasons that have nothing to do with the economy.
What traders watch
Because single weeks are noisy, traders watch the four-week average and continuing claims, and pay more attention to the claims week that includes the 12th of the month, when the payroll survey is taken.
How markets have usually reacted
Moves are usually small. A clear jump in claims has sometimes weighed on the dollar and supported gold; a drop has sometimes done the opposite. Claims tend to matter more when markets are worried about a slowdown.
Common mistakes
- Treating one week as a trend.
- Ignoring holiday and seasonal effects, which can distort the figure for several weeks.
How a higher or lower figure is usually read
More claims than the week before is usually read as negative for the U.S. dollar; fewer claims as supportive. Not a signal.
Release history
| Date | Period | Actual | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|
| w/e Oct 24 | 194K | 195K | |
| w/e Oct 17 | 194K | 200K | |
| w/e Oct 10 | 199K | 198K |
Related news
- US Non-Farm Payrolls
- US Unemployment Rate
- US JOLTS Job Openings
- Economic calendar: every release this week in your time zone
- Lot size calculator: keep your risk the same around news
- How to use an economic calendar: what happens around a release, and how to plan for it
Trading involves a high risk of loss. This page is information and education, not advice or a signal to trade. See the Risk Disclaimer.
Official source
This product uses the FRED® API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Calendar data: fred.stlouisfed.org
Published by U.S. Department of Labor: www.dol.gov