Americans lined up for unemployment benefits at an accelerated pace in the week ended 26 April, according to the Department of Labor.
Source: Sharecast
Initial jobless claims rose by 18,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis to 241,000, the highest since February and much higher than expectations for a reading of 224,000. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, initial claims increased by 12,901 to 223,614, with notable increases in New York and Massachusetts.
Outstanding claims rose by 83,000 to 1.91m, the highest since November 2021 and also ahead of market expectations of 1.86m, while the four-week moving average came to 226,000, an increase of 5,500 week-on-week.
Initial unemployment claims filed under programs for Federal government employees, closely watched due to recent firings by the Department of Government Efficiency, fell by 187 people to 470.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
Compare our accounts
If you're looking to grow your money over the longer term (5+ years), we have a range of investment choices to help.
Halifax is not responsible for the content and accuracy of the Markets News articles. We may not share the views of the author. Understand the risks, please remember the value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invest. We don't provide advice so if you are in any doubt about buying and selling shares or making your own investment decisions we recommend you seek advice from a suitably qualified Financial Advisor. Past performance is not a guide to future performance.