US Initial Jobless Claims Rose Less Than Expected in Week Ended Jan. 17

08:40 AM EST, 01/22/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US initial jobless claims rose to a level of 200,000 in the employment survey week ended Jan. 17 from an upwardly revised 199,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for a larger increase to 209,000 in survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.

Initial claims were at a level of 224,000 in the employment survey week ended Dec. 13.

The four-week moving average declined by 3,750 to 201,500 after declining by 6,250 to a level of 205,250 in the previous week, hitting the lowest level since the week ended Jan. 13, 2024, when it was 200,000.

Insured jobless claims declined by 26,000 to 1,849,000 in the week ended Jan. 10.

The weekly initial jobless claims data released by the US Labor Department measures filings for unemployment insurance benefits. Initial filings are reported through the previous Saturday, while those already on benefits are measured with a one-week lag.

A decrease in claims suggests a stronger labor market, a positive for the US economy and stocks, but a negative for bonds as it suggests wage growth that could lead to inflation.

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