floriparesort.com – 29 May 2026 | The US weekly jobless claims rise to 215,000, up from 210,000 the week before, according to the Labor Department. Despite this increase, layoffs remain low, with the four-week moving average of claims rising by nearly 6,300 to 209,000. The US weekly jobless claims rise is still considered low, near historic lows, according to Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics. The uptick from last week to this week is trivial in a labor market of 159 million workers.
The number of Americans signing up for unemployment benefits, a proxy for layoffs, has stabilized in a low range of mostly 200,000 to 250,000 a week since the US economy emerged from a brief but nasty pandemic recession in 2020. The total number of people collecting jobless aid rose by 15,000 to 1.79 million the week that ended May 16. The persistently low number of claims suggests that most US companies have not resorted to layoffs.
However, even if they’re not cutting jobs, employers haven’t been adding many either. Last year, companies, nonprofits, and government agencies added fewer than 10,000 jobs a month, the weakest hiring outside recession years since 2002. Job creation has picked up a bit so far this year, to an average of 76,000 a month from January through April. By contrast, employers added 122,000 a month in 2024 and averaged nearly 400,000 a month from 2021 through 2023 as the economy roared back from COVID-19 lockdowns.
The US weekly jobless claims rise is also influenced by the Iran war, which has clouded the economic outlook as higher energy prices squeeze consumers and businesses. Iran responded to US and Israeli attacks by turning to economic warfare, closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, and causing the biggest disruption of global oil supplies in history. In response, US gasoline prices have surged to an average of $4.43 a gallon from an average $2.98 a gallon on the eve of the conflict, according to AAA.
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Despite the uncertainty caused by the Iran war, the US weekly jobless claims rise remains low, and the unemployment rate has remained low by historic standards. The US weekly jobless claims rise is still a significant indicator of the labor market, and its low levels suggest that the economy is still growing, albeit at a slower pace. As the US and Iran have the makings of a deal, according to some analysts, the economic outlook may improve, and the US weekly jobless claims rise may continue to remain low.
In conclusion, the US weekly jobless claims rise to 215,000, but layoffs remain low despite the Iran war uncertainty. The US weekly jobless claims rise is still considered low, near historic lows, and the unemployment rate has remained low by historic standards. As the economy continues to grow, albeit at a slower pace, the US weekly jobless claims rise will remain a significant indicator of the labor market.
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