Weekly U.S. Jobless Claims at 207,000, Below Forecasts

by Hwang Yoonju

Published 16 Apr.2026 23:16(KST)

Last week, the number of new unemployment benefit claims in the United States fell short of forecasts, recording the largest weekly decrease since February.

On April 16 (local time), the U.S. Department of Labor announced that, for the week of April 5 to April 11, the number of new unemployment benefit claims totaled 207,000, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week.

This figure is lower than the estimate of 215,000 compiled by Dow Jones. However, since the reporting period included the Easter holiday, it is possible that volatility before and after the holiday may have influenced the numbers.

The number of continuing unemployment benefit claims, referring to those who filed for benefits for two weeks or more, stood at 1,818,000 for the week from March 29 to April 4. This represents an increase of 31,000 from the previous week.