Jobless Claims Rise to 225,000, Indicating Labor Market Cooling

Initial jobless claims for the week ending May 30, 2026, increased by 13,000 to 225,000, reflecting a 6.1% rise from the previous week’s figure of 212,000.

This week’s claims are above the 3-month average of 209,643 and the 5-year average of 220,495, but slightly lower than the 1-year average of 220,925. The 52-week range shows a high of 259,000 and a low of 190,000, indicating fluctuations in the labor market.

Fig. 1 — Weekly initial jobless claims, last 13 weeks. Red bars = claims rose WoW; green bars = claims fell WoW. Dashed line shows 3-month average.

The 4-week moving average stands at 214,750, suggesting a slight upward trend in jobless claims. This smoothed figure points to potential softening in the labor market, as it reflects recent increases in initial claims.

Fig. 2 — Initial claims (light blue) and 4-week moving average (red) over 36 months. Dashed lines mark 1-year and 3-year averages.

Continued claims have decreased by 8,000 to 1,777,000, suggesting that fewer workers are remaining on unemployment benefits. This decline may indicate a stabilization in the job market, as individuals are finding employment more quickly.