U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Fall to 215,000, Below Expectations, as Labor Market Shows Resilience

According to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday, initial jobless claims for the week ending June 20 fell by 12,000 to 215,000, beating market expectations of 225,000 and marking the lowest level since early 2021.

Continuing jobless claims, however, rose by 21,000 to 1.821 million, reaching a three-month high and signaling that unemployed workers are taking longer to secure new positions. The U.S. unemployment rate held steady at 4.3% for the third consecutive month.