Jobless claims tick up
US weekly jobless claims rose to about 210,000, signaling a gradual cooling in the labor market but not a sharp downturn. The reading gives the Fed room to pause while leaving inflation risks elevated. (reuters.com)
The Labor Department’s advance release showed initial claims rose by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 210,000 for the week ending March 21, 2026. (article.wn.com) The report said the four‑week moving average of initial claims fell to 210,500, down 250 from the prior unrevised average. (article.wn.com) Continuing (insured) claims fell by 32,000 to 1.819 million for the week ended March 14, the lowest level since May 2024. (bloomberg.com) Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 210,000 initial filings, meaning the print matched market consensus. (wincountry.com) The Labor Department’s release notes an annual revision to seasonal-adjustment factors that reworked seasonally adjusted values from 2021 forward, which affects recent week‑to‑week comparisons. (dol.gov) Private economists and data services observed that initial claims have remained inside a roughly 201,000–230,000 band so far this year and that the four‑week average of continuing claims sat near 1.847 million. (pnc.com)
