US Initial Jobless Claims Decline Sharply in Week Ended Feb. 14

08:37 AM EST, 02/19/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US initial jobless claims decreased to a level of 206,000 in the employment survey week ended Feb. 14 from an upwardly revised 229,000 level in the previous week, compared with expectations for a level of 225,000 in survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg.

Initial claims were at a level of 210,000 in the employment survey week ended Jan. 17.

The four-week moving average decreased by 1,000 to 219,000 after increasing by 7,500 to a level of 220,000 in the previous week.

Insured jobless claims increased by 17,000 to 1,869,000 in the week ended Feb. 7.

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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