Initial Jobless Claims
Thu · Feb 4 · 8:30 AM ET
Release history
| Period | Actual | Prior | S&P that day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | 189K | 195K | -0.5% |
| Oct 2026 | 195K | 195K | +0.7% |
| Oct 2026 | 195K | 200K | +0.4% |
| Oct 2026 | 200K | 198K | -0.1% |
| Oct 2026 | 198K | 199K | +0.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 199K | 198K | -0.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 198K | 198K | +1.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 198K | 207K | -0.4% |
“S&P that day” = S&P 500 (SPY) close-to-close move on the release date — a proxy for the market’s reaction.
What is Initial Jobless Claims?
Initial Jobless Claims, released every Thursday by the Department of Labor, count the number of people who filed for unemployment benefits for the first time in the prior week — one of the timeliest U.S. economic indicators.
Why it moves markets
Because it is weekly, it offers a high-frequency, near-real-time pulse on layoffs and labor-market health, often turning before monthly data.
How to read it
Lower claims indicate a healthy job market; a sustained rise (especially the 4-week average climbing above ~250K) is an early warning of labor-market deterioration. Markets watch the trend more than any single noisy week.
Upcoming releases
Times in U.S. Eastern (ET). Economic data from official sources (FRED); schedules and AI estimates may change. For information only — not investment advice.