Jobless claims hold near 199,000 for second straight week below 200,000
The reading follows a confirmed October 8 release that put the prior week's claims at 197,000, the lowest stretch since 1969
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Chart: US initial jobless claims
The figure sits close to the 197,000 recorded in the week ended October 3, which was confirmed in the Labor Department's October 8 release.
That October 3 figure marked the fourth straight week of claims below 200,000, the first such streak since 1969, according to PNC Economics Research and Trading Economics. The four-week moving average fell to 198,000 for the same week, the lowest since September 2022, PNC Economics Research said. Claims touched a 2026 low of 189,000 in the week ended July 18, the lowest since 1969, according to market commentary published by TheStreet.
Continuing claims, a separate measure of people still receiving benefits, rose by 17,000 to 1.716 million for the week ended September 26, Trading Economics said.
This week's reading extends a pattern in which filings have stayed pinned near multi-decade lows despite rhetoric from the administration about tightening visa programs. Two consecutive weeks below 200,000 show no sign of labor-market deterioration tied to that scrutiny, which leaves the Federal Reserve's labor-side rationale for easing policy unchanged rather than strengthened. For traders positioning around layoff risk, the data offers continuity rather than a new signal.