The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased last week, but the overall level of claims remained consistent with a labour market that continues to show resilience despite signs of slowing economic momentum.
Data released by the Labor Department on Thursday showed initial jobless claims rose to 225,000 in the week ended May 30, up from 212,000 the previous week.
The figure exceeded economists’ expectations of 215,000 claims but remained well below levels typically associated with a weakening labor market.
The latest report arrives as investors and policymakers assess whether the labour market is beginning to soften after a prolonged period of strength.
Low layoffs continue to support employment
While new claims increased, continuing claims — a measure of the number of people receiving unemployment benefits after their first week — edged lower.
Continuing claims fell to 1.78 million in the week ended May 23 from a revised 1.79 million in the previous period.
Economists often view continuing claims as a gauge of how easily unemployed workers are finding new jobs.
The decline suggests that layoffs remain limited and that displaced workers are still finding opportunities, helping to keep the labor market on a stable footing.
The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, published on Wednesday, painted a similar picture.
The report noted that employment showed “little to no change” across most regions of the country, describing labor conditions as a “low-hire, low-fire environment.”
According to the report, employers largely continued to hire selectively, focusing on critical positions and replacement hiring rather than broad workforce expansion.
Mixed signals emerge from labor market data
The jobless claims report follows a series of labor market indicators that have offered a mixed but generally positive picture of employment conditions.
Earlier this week, payroll processor ADP reported that private employers added 122,000 jobs in May, exceeding economists’ forecasts of 110,000 and marking the strongest pace of hiring since January 2025.
At the same time, Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that US employers announced 97,006 job cuts in May, the highest number of layoffs announced during the month of May since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted labor markets across the country.
The report also highlighted the growing influence of artificial intelligence on workforce decisions.
For the third consecutive month, AI was cited as the leading reason for job cuts.
Employers attributed 38,579 layoffs to AI-related restructuring in May, accounting for roughly 40% of all announced job reductions and representing the highest monthly total since Challenger began tracking AI-related layoffs in 2023.
Despite those announcements, actual layoffs remain relatively low by historical standards.
The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), released earlier this week, showed layoffs declined in April while hiring slowed, suggesting payroll growth during the month was supported primarily by fewer job losses.
Focus shifts to Friday’s jobs report
Attention now turns to Friday’s closely watched employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is expected to provide a broader assessment of labor market conditions.
Economists surveyed by Reuters expect nonfarm payrolls to have increased by 85,000 jobs in May, following gains of 115,000 in April.
The unemployment rate is forecast to remain unchanged at 4.3%.
Although the latest jobless claims figures fall outside the survey period used for the May employment report, they reinforce the view that the labor market remains relatively stable, even as employers become more cautious about hiring and economic uncertainty persists.
For now, low layoffs continue to serve as an anchor for the labor market, helping offset concerns about slower hiring and the broader economic outlook.
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