FX.co ★ US Jobless Claims Inch Higher as Expected

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose by 6,000 to 214,000 in the week ending April 18th, broadly in line with the median market forecast of 212,000. Meanwhile, continuing claims — a key proxy for ongoing unemployment — edged up by 12,000 to 1,821,000 in the preceding week. Both figures remained well below last year’s averages, reinforcing the Federal Reserve’s narrative of persistently low layoff activity. Initial claims filed by federal employees, closely watched as an indicator of the impact of government shutdowns, declined by 60 to 452.