Jobless Claims in U.S. Rise to Three-Month High After Holidays

By Katia Dmitrieva / January 12, 2018 / www.bloomberg.com / Article Link

U.S. filings for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose to a three-month high last week during a holiday period when claims tend to be volatile, Labor Department figures showed Thursday.

Highlights of Jobless Claims (Week Ended Jan. 6)

Jobless claims increased by 11k to 261k (est. 245k), highest since week ended Sept. 23, when filings were elevated due to hurricanes

Continuing claims fell by 35k to 1.867m in week ended Dec. 30 (data reported with one-week lag), lowest since Dec. 1973

Four-week average of initial claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, rose to 250,750 from the prior week’s 241,750

Key Takeaways

Even with the latest increase, claims remain low by historical standards, with levels below 300,000 seen as indicating a healthy labor market as companies remain reluctant to fire workers. Last week included the New Year’s Day holiday and followed the week containing Christmas, which tend to generate fluctuations in filings due to seasonal positions and difficulties adjusting for them.

At the same time, further increases in jobless claims could suggest that labor-market progress is hitting bumps. A report last week showed that U.S. employers added fewer jobs in December than economists had penciled in, amid a drop in retail positions.