by Calculated Risk on 1/08/2026 08:30:00 AM
The DOL reported:
In the week ending January 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 208,000an increase of 8,000
from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 199,000 to 200,000. The
4-week moving average was 211,750, a decrease of 7,250 from the previous week’s revised average. This is the lowest
level for this average since April 27, 2024 when it was 210,250. The previous week’s average was revised up by 250
from 218,750 to 219,000.
emphasis added
The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since 1971.
Click on graph for larger image.
The dashed line on the graph is the current 4-week average. The four-week average of weekly unemployment claims decreased to 211,750.
This was slightly above the consensus estimate.
