FX.co ★ US Continuing Jobless Claims Highest Since November 2021

Continuing jobless claims in the United States, an indicator of the number of individuals receiving unemployment benefits, rose by 56,000 to a total of 1,903,000 for the week ending March 22. This marks the highest level since November 2021 and surpasses the anticipated figure of 1,860,000, indicating that the unemployed are facing increasing challenges in rejoining the labor force. Conversely, initial jobless claims fell by 6,000 to 219,000, which is below the market forecast of 225,000. Additionally, unemployment claims filed under federal government programs, which have been closely monitored due to layoffs by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), decreased by 257 to a total of 564.