Initial unemployment claims increased by 6,000 to 222,000 for the week ending April 19, according to data released Thursday by the Department of Labor.
The uptick follows a revised figure of 216,000 from the previous week, yet the four-week moving average decreased to 220,250, suggesting the labor market remains relatively stable despite the weekly fluctuation.
While initial claims rose, the number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits fell by 37,000 to 1,841,000 for the week ending April 12. The insured unemployment rate held steady at 1.2 percent.
State-by-state variations
Kentucky reported the largest increase in initial claims with 4,292 additional filings, primarily attributed to layoffs in the manufacturing sector. Other states experiencing significant increases included Missouri, Pennsylvania and Michigan, with most citing manufacturing and construction industry layoffs.
California led states with decreases, reporting 3,296 fewer claims, followed by Tennessee, Oregon, Illinois and Wisconsin. Most states did not provide specific reasons for the declines, though Wisconsin noted fewer layoffs in transportation and warehousing.
Unadjusted data shows different trend
Before seasonal adjustments, initial claims actually decreased by 11,214 (5.1 percent) to 209,782 for the week ending April 19. This was significantly better than the expected seasonal decrease of 16,850 (7.6 percent), indicating underlying labor market strength when accounting for normal seasonal patterns.
The total number of continued weeks claimed across all unemployment programs stood at 1,973,548 for the week ending April 5, down 41,479 from the previous week and higher than the 1,874,036 claims filed during the comparable week in 2024.
Economists typically view unemployment claims data as a leading indicator of labor market conditions, with initial claims signaling emerging trends and continued claims confirming the general direction of the economy.
