In the week ending July 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 1,434,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 6,000 from 1,416,000 to 1,422,000. The 4-week moving average was 1,368,500, an increase of 6,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 1,750 from 1,360,250 to 1,362,000. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 11.6 percent for the week ending July 18, an increase of 0.5 percentage point from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance ... (full story)

The number of Americans who filed for unemployment benefits last week was roughly in line with expectations as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the U.S. economy. Data released by the Labor Department showed initial weekly jobless claims for the week ending July 25 came in at 1.434 million. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected claims to rise to 1.45 million. This also marks the second consecutive week in which initial claims rise after declining for 15 straight weeks. It is also the 19th straight week in which initial claims total at least 1 million. Continuing claims — which are composed of those ... (full story)