Continued Jobless Claims in United States

Continued jobless claims count the number of people still receiving unemployment benefits after their initial claim in the United States. Released by the Department of Labor (DOL), they complement initial claims in gauging the persistence of unemployment.

It is drawn from the administrative records of state unemployment offices, tallying claimants who renew their benefits. It is released weekly, seasonally adjusted, and with a one-week additional lag relative to initial claims.

A sustained rise shows the unemployed are finding it harder to get back to work, a sign of a softening labour market, while a fall points to easier re-hiring. The Federal Reserve watches it to calibrate rate policy, and it moves the dollar.

The series is volatile, subject to revisions and seasonal effects, and depends on legislative changes to the duration and coverage of benefits, which can distort comparisons over time.