Updated: 26-Mar-26 09:14 ET

Initial Claims for the Week Ended Mar 21

Updated: 26-Mar-26 09:14 ET

Highlights

• Initial jobless claims for the week ending March 21 rose by 5,000 to 210,000 (Briefing.com consensus: 210,000).
• Continuing jobless claims decreased by 32,000 to 1.819 million, which is the lowest level since May 25, 2024.

Key Factors

• The four-week moving average for initial claims decreased by 250 to 210,500.
• The four-week moving average for continuing claims decreased by 2,000 to 1,847,000.
• The total number of continued weeks claimed for benefits in all programs for the week ending March 7 was 2,131,459, a decrease of 42,198 from the previous week. Claims filed in the comparable week a year ago totaled 2,150,497.

Big Picture

• The key takeaway from the report is that it is not indicative of a weak labor market, particularly with initial jobless claims-a leading indicator-continuing to run at historically low levels.

Category	Mar 21	Mar 14	Mar 7	Feb 28	Feb 21
Initial Claims	210K	205K	213K	214K	211K
4-Wk Moving Avg	211K	211K	212K	216K	220K
Continued Benefits		1819K	1851K	1847K	1871K
4-Wk Moving Avg		1847K	1849K	1853K	1856K