US weekly jobless claims fall less than expected

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits decreased by less than expected last week, likely as disruptions from winter storms lingered.

Initial ?claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 5,000 ?to a seasonally adjusted 227,000 for the week ended February 7, the Labor ?Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had ?forecast 222,000 claims for the latest week.

The fall ?reversed only a ?fraction of the prior week's jump, which had been blamed on snowstorms ?and frigid temperatures across much of ?the country as well as normalization following seasonal volatility at the end of last year and ?beginning of 2026.

Though job growth ?accelerated in ?January and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3% from 4.4% in December, economists continued to characterize the labor ?market as remaining in a "low hire, low fire" ?state. Nearly all the job gains in January came from the healthcare and social assistance sector.

Economists say trade and immigration policies were constraining the labor market, but are optimistic ?employment growth ?will pick up this year partly because ?of tax cuts. The number of people receiving unemployment benefits ?after an initial week of aid, a proxy for hiring, increased 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 1.862 million during the week ended January 31, the claims report showed. The so-called continuing claims have also been impacted by seasonal volatility.

Though fewer people experienced longer ?bouts of unemployment in January, the median duration of joblessness remained near levels last seen four years ago. Recent college ?graduates are having a tough ?time finding jobs. (Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing ?by Chizu Nomiyama)