Jobs · ICSA

Weekly jobless claims

As of Oct 17, 2026, initial jobless claims stood at 194,000, a change of -6,000 from the week before.

Source: U.S. Employment and Training Administration via FRED®. Weekly data, seasonally adjusted. Latest observation Oct 17, 2026; snapshot taken Oct 26, 2026, 6:40 PM EDT.

Latest (Oct 17, 2026)

194,000

Change from Oct 10, 2026

-6,000

A year earlier

222,000

12-month change

-12.6%

194,000 Oct 17, 2026 · Number

180,000200,000220,000240,000260,00020222023202420252026

Number. Data from Jan 7, 1967 to Oct 17, 2026 (3,120 observations); older daily or weekly values are shown as month-end readings in the chart.

What it measures

Initial claims count the people filing for state unemployment insurance for the first time each week. Because it comes out every Thursday, it is one of the quickest signs of layoffs picking up or slowing down.

Official title
Initial Claims
Units
Number
Frequency and adjustment
Weekly, seasonally adjusted
Original source
U.S. Employment and Training Administration
Recent values
DateValueChange
Oct 17, 2026194,000-6,000
Oct 10, 2026200,000+2,000
Oct 3, 2026198,000-1,000
Sep 26, 2026199,000+1,000
Sep 19, 2026198,0000
Sep 12, 2026198,000-9,000
Sep 5, 2026207,0000
Aug 29, 2026207,000+3,000
Aug 22, 2026204,000-3,000
Aug 15, 2026207,000-5,000
Aug 8, 2026212,000+12,000
Aug 1, 2026200,000+2,000

Related indicators

Continuing jobless claims

1,728,000

Number · Oct 10, 2026

Unemployment rate

4.2%

Percent · Sep 2026

Nonfarm payrolls

159,044K

Thousands of persons · Sep 2026

This page shows public economic data for general information. It is not financial advice and does not predict future values.

Sources

FRED® is a registered trademark of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Neither the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis nor U.S. Employment and Training Administration endorses OpenEcon.