US Initial Jobless Claims Decline to **206,000**, Continuing Claims Also Fall

• US initial jobless claims fell to 206,000 for week ending September 5.
• Figure was slightly above 205,000 forecast but down from prior week’s 207,000.
• Continuing claims also declined to 1.774 million, below expectations.

The US Department of Labor reported on Thursday that initial jobless claims for the week ending September 5 decreased to 206,000. This figure came in marginally above the consensus expectation of 205,000, yet represented a 1,000 decline from the previous week’s revised 207,000. The four-week moving average for initial claims also fell by 1,500 to 206,000, indicating a consistent labor market with limited layoffs. Additionally, continuing jobless claims for the week ending August 29 dropped by 1,000 to 1.774 million, falling below the 1.780 million forecast, with the insured unemployment rate holding steady at 1.2%.