WASHINGTON — The Department of Labor released its weekly unemployment insurance claims report on Sept. 24. The report covers the week ending Sept. 19 and provides one of the most closely watched real-time snapshots of the U.S. labor market.
The advance weekly claims report tracks initial jobless claims filed by American workers, continuing claims from those already receiving benefits and the insured unemployment rate. The data is among the most timely economic indicators available to policymakers, investors and the Federal Reserve.
Weekly jobless claims data regularly moves financial markets on Thursday mornings and serves as a key input for Federal Reserve officials weighing monetary policy decisions. A sustained rise in claims can signal weakening labor demand, while declining claims suggest employers are holding onto workers.
The report is released by the Employment and Training Administration within the Department of Labor and covers state-level data in addition to national totals. The advance figures are subject to revision in the following week’s report.
Initial claims represent workers filing for unemployment benefits for the first time, typically after a layoff or job loss. Continuing claims measure the number of people who remain on unemployment rolls, providing insight into how quickly displaced workers are finding new employment.
The weekly cadence of the report makes it one of the few federal economic indicators that provides near-real-time labor market intelligence, complementing the monthly jobs report issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Economists and analysts use the claims data alongside other indicators — including job openings, quit rates and payroll figures — to assess the overall health and direction of the U.S. labor market.