Initial Jobless Claims 203,000 for
Initial Jobless Claims came in at 203,000 (Number) for Wk of Aug 22 2026, down 1.93% from 207,000 the prior week and 12.88% below its level of 233,000 one year ago. The series has averaged 359,318.12 since 1967, reaching a record high of 6.137M in April 2020 and a record low of 162,000 in November 1968.
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<iframe src="https://marketxls.com/embed/indicators/initial-jobless-claims" width="100%" height="460" frameborder="0" title="Initial Jobless Claims chart"></iframe><p style="font:12px/1.4 sans-serif;margin:4px 0 0"><a href="https://marketxls.com/indicators/initial-jobless-claims" rel="nofollow">Initial Jobless Claims chart - MarketXLS</a></p>Historical Data
⋮ | ⋮ |
|---|---|
| August 22, 2026 | 203,000 |
| August 15, 2026 | 207,000 |
| August 8, 2026 | 212,000 |
| August 1, 2026 | 200,000 |
| July 25, 2026 | 198,000 |
| July 18, 2026 | 189,000 |
| July 11, 2026 | 209,000 |
| July 4, 2026 | 217,000 |
| June 27, 2026 | 217,000 |
| June 20, 2026 | 216,000 |
| June 13, 2026 | 227,000 |
| June 6, 2026 | 230,000 |
| May 30, 2026 | 225,000 |
| May 23, 2026 | 212,000 |
| May 16, 2026 | 210,000 |
| May 9, 2026 | 212,000 |
| May 2, 2026 | 199,000 |
| April 25, 2026 | 190,000 |
| April 18, 2026 | 215,000 |
| April 11, 2026 | 208,000 |
⋮ | ⋮ |
|---|---|
| October 26, 1996 | 352,000 |
| October 19, 1996 | 335,000 |
| October 12, 1996 | 334,000 |
| October 5, 1996 | 335,000 |
| September 28, 1996 | 348,000 |
| September 21, 1996 | 352,000 |
| September 14, 1996 | 338,000 |
| September 7, 1996 | 333,000 |
| August 31, 1996 | 329,000 |
| August 24, 1996 | 337,000 |
| August 17, 1996 | 336,000 |
| August 10, 1996 | 331,000 |
| August 3, 1996 | 326,000 |
| July 27, 1996 | 327,000 |
| July 20, 1996 | 332,000 |
| July 13, 1996 | 347,000 |
| July 6, 1996 | 342,000 |
| June 29, 1996 | 337,000 |
| June 22, 1996 | 341,000 |
| June 15, 1996 | 342,000 |
About Initial Jobless Claims
What it measures
Initial Jobless Claims (FRED series ICSA) counts the number of people filing first-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits each week, seasonally adjusted. The Department of Labor publishes the figure every Thursday for the prior week, making it one of the highest-frequency official indicators of US labor market conditions.
Why it matters
Claims are the economy's fastest layoff signal, arriving weekly with only a few days of lag. Sustained increases have preceded every modern recession, which earns the series a place in most leading indicator frameworks. Markets and the Federal Reserve watch it between monthly jobs reports for early evidence of labor market deterioration.
How to read it
Use the four-week moving average to smooth weekly noise from holidays, weather, and seasonal adjustment quirks. A sustained climb from cycle lows signals rising layoffs; low, stable claims indicate employers are holding onto workers. Note the caveat that claims capture layoffs, not hiring: a frozen job market can coexist with low claims if firing and hiring both stall.
Get Initial Jobless Claims in Excel
Pull Initial Jobless Claims directly into your spreadsheet with a single MarketXLS formula - always current, no copy-pasting:
=InitialCliams()View the Initial Claims formula documentation or browse all 100+ Economic Data functions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current Initial Jobless Claims?
Initial Jobless Claims is 203,000 (Number) as of August 2026.
What is the all-time high and low of Initial Jobless Claims?
The highest value on record is 6.137M (April 2020) and the lowest is 162,000 (November 1968).
How often is Initial Jobless Claims updated?
Initial Jobless Claims is published on a weekly basis, sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED).
How do I get Initial Jobless Claims in Excel?
Use the MarketXLS Excel formula =InitialCliams() to pull Initial Jobless Claims directly into any cell, with historical values available for analysis.
Stats
| Last Value | 203,000 |
| Latest Period | Wk of Aug 22 2026 |
| Last Updated | August 27 2026, 07:34 |
| Value Previous Week | 207,000 |
| Change From Previous Week | -1.93% |
| Value 1 Year Ago | 233,000 |
| Change From Year Ago | -12.88% |
| Average Growth Rate | -0.04%/yr |
| Record High (Apr 2020) | 6.137M |
| Record Low (Nov 1968) | 162,000 |
| Long-Term Average | 359,318.12 |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Adjustment | Seasonally Adjusted |
| Unit | Number |
Annual Averages
| 2026 | 210,823.53 |
| 2025 | 226,134.62 |
| 2024 | 223,019.23 |
| 2023 | 222,750 |
| 2022 | 213,773.58 |
| 2021 | 463,788.46 |
| 2020 | 1.358M |
| 2019 | 217,711.54 |
| 2018 | 219,461.54 |
| 2017 | 244,211.54 |
| 2016 | 262,018.87 |
| 2015 | 277,807.69 |
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