New data from the U.S. Labor Department released on Thursday showed a modest rise in initial unemployment claims during the first week of January, coming in slightly below market expectations.
According to the report, first-time claims for jobless benefits increased to 208,000 in the week ended January 3, up by 8,000 from the prior week’s revised figure of 200,000. Economists had forecast a slightly larger increase to 210,000, from the previously reported 199,000.
At the same time, the less volatile four-week moving average declined, falling by 7,250 to 211,750 from the prior week’s revised level of 219,000. This marked the lowest reading for the four-week average since late April 2024, when it stood at 210,250, pointing to continued underlying resilience in the U.S. labor market.