Initial jobless claims climb to 200,000

22nd Jan 2026 08:47

(Sharecast News) - Americans lined up for unemployment benefits at an accelerated clip in the week ended 17 January, according to the Labor Department.

Initial jobless claims rose by 1,000 to 200,000, up from the previous week's upwardly revised reading, while continuing claims fell by 26,000 to 1.85m.

The four-week moving average, which aims to strip out week-to-week volatility, dropped by 3,750 to 201,500 - its lowest level since January 2024.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2% for the week ending 10 January, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com