Initial claims for unemployment benefits in the United States unexpectedly declined in the week ended 12 September 2026, according to figures released by the Labor Department on Thursday.
First-time applications for unemployment benefits fell by 10,000 to 196,000, compared with the previous week’s unrevised reading of 206,000.
Economists had expected claims to increase slightly to 208,000.
The latest reading was therefore 12,000 below market expectations, indicating fewer new applications for unemployment benefits than anticipated.
The four-week moving average, which helps smooth weekly fluctuations in the data, also declined.
The average fell by 2,750 to 203,250, compared with the previous week’s unrevised figure of 206,000.
The decrease in both weekly claims and the four-week average suggests that new applications for unemployment benefits remained relatively subdued during the reporting period.
Initial jobless claims provide a weekly indication of layoffs and labour market conditions, although the figures alone do not offer a complete assessment of employment trends.