Economy · Jobs

Initial Jobless Claims - 4-Week Average

• 4-week average (thousands): 200K (Sep 26, 2026).
• A year earlier: 237K (Sep 20, 2025), a change of −15.5%.
• Highest on record here: 5,288K (Apr 18, 2020); lowest: 179K (May 17, 1969).

Source: FRED IC4WSA (4-Week Moving Average of Initial Claims). Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Gray bands mark U.S. recessions as dated by the NBER (FRED USREC).

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