What the initial jobless claims measures
The number of people filing a first claim for state unemployment insurance after losing a job, as reported by the Department of Labor every Thursday for the week before. The figure is seasonally adjusted and covers regular state programs. The chart averages the weekly numbers for each month, in thousands of claims per week, which smooths out holiday distortions and one-off spikes from storms or plant shutdowns.
How to read this chart
Claims are the fastest official signal of layoffs. In a healthy labor market they hover in a narrow range; a sustained rise of 50,000 or more above the recent low has preceded most recessions. The 2020 spike dwarfs everything else on the chart: more than six million people filed in a single week in April 2020. Use the shorter ranges to see the normal level more clearly.
The latest reading in context
- At 197K, the latest reading is below its 5-year average of 219K and below its 10-year average of 363K.
- That is lower than 98% of all monthly readings since January 1967 – near the bottom of its historical range.
- Direction: down 1.9% over the past month; down 5.3% over the past six months; down 13.2% over the past year.
- The highest value on record is 4,663K (April 2020, 6 years ago); the lowest is 181K (May 1969, 57 years ago).
- The full history spans 8 US recessions, shaded grey on the chart.
Why it matters
Because they are weekly and based on administrative records rather than surveys, jobless claims are watched closely by the Federal Reserve and by markets for early signs that the job market is turning. A rise in claims usually comes before a rise in the unemployment rate, which is published only monthly.
What moves the initial jobless claims
- Layoffs across the economy, which rise in downturns
- Seasonal hiring and firing around holidays, school years and auto retooling
- Natural disasters and strikes, which cause short spikes
- Eligibility rules and awareness of benefits
Key moments in its history
- 1968–69Fell to around 180,000 a week, still the lowest monthly averages on record.
- Oct 1982Peaked near 700,000 a week in the double-dip recession.
- Mar 2009Topped 650,000 a week at the depth of the financial crisis.
- Apr 2020More than 6 million claims in one week as the pandemic shut down the economy.
- 2022Fell to the lowest levels since the late 1960s in a very tight job market.
Initial Jobless Claims data tables
Average by decade
| Decade | Average | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s (so far) | 425K | 4,663K | 197K |
| 2010s | 311K | 486K | 205K |
| 2000s | 381K | 659K | 272K |
| 1990s | 357K | 499K | 278K |
| 1980s | 407K | 661K | 290K |
| 1970s | 341K | 547K | 222K |
| 1960s | 207K | 263K | 181K |
Last 12 months
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | 197K | −1.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 200K | −2.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 206K | +1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 203K | −8.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 222K | +5.2% |
| May 2026 | 212K | +1.9% |
| Apr 2026 | 208K | −0.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 208K | −3.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 216K | +1.9% |
| Jan 2026 | 212K | −3.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 219K | −1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 222K | −1.9% |
Monthly values. Decade figures are averages of the monthly values in each decade. The complete history is available as a CSV file.
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Initial Jobless Claims: questions and answers
What is a normal level of initial jobless claims?
In a solid economy claims usually run between about 200,000 and 250,000 a week. The labor force has grown since the 1960s, so the same number of claims represents a smaller share of workers today.
What is the difference between initial and continuing claims?
Initial claims count people filing for the first time. Continuing claims count people still receiving benefits, so they show how hard it is to find a new job.
When are jobless claims released?
Every Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, for the week ending the previous Saturday. This chart updates as the monthly average changes.
Where does the data on this chart come from?
From the U.S. Department of Labor. ChartWidgets downloads the series (ICSA) from FRED, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis database, and checks for new releases every day. The last update was on November 1, 2026.