Initial Claims for the Week Ending January 11 (01.17.2025)

For the week ending January 11, seasonally adjusted initial claims rose to 217,000, reflecting an increase compared to the previous week's revised total.

The 4-week moving average also experienced a minor decline, offering a smoother view of recent trends.

• Preliminary initial claims: 217,000
• Increase from the prior week: 14,000
• Revised initial claims for the previous week: 203,000 (originally 201,000)
• 4-week moving average: 212,750 (down by 750 from the previous week's revised average of 213,500)

Insured Unemployment for the Week Ending January 4

During the week ending January 4, the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate remained unchanged at 1.2%, signaling stability. A slight decline was observed in the total number of insured unemployed individuals and the 4-week moving average.

• Insured unemployment rate: 1.2%
• Total insured unemployed: 1,859,000 (decrease of 18,000)
• Revised figure for the previous week: 1,877,000
• 4-week moving average: 1,866,750 (down by 1,250)

Although the recent week's spike in initial claims is worth keeping an eye on, the insured unemployment rate's stability and the 4-week moving averages' small fall point to a strong underlying labor market. In the coming weeks, these data points will remain important markers of the state of the economy.

Source: U.S. Department of Labour