US weekly unemployment claims fall to 208,000, fewest in 10 weeks
Filings for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in 10 weeks as U.S. layoffs remain historically low
ByMATT OTT AP business writer
July 16, 2026, 8:40 AM
WASHINGTON –Filings for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in 10 weeks as U.S. layoffs remain historically low
The number of Americans applying for jobless aid in the week ending July 11 dropped by 8,000 to 208,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s well below the 219,000 new applications forecast by analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet
Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the U.S. job market
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The four-week moving average of weekly jobless claims, which adjusts for volatility, declined by 4,750 to 214,250
The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending July 4 fell by 16,000 to 1.81 million, also a historically healthy figure
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