U.S. Department of Labor: 206,000 new unemployment claims filed last week

The U.S. Department of Labor announced on the 20th (local time) that the number of new unemployment claims filed last week (August 9-15) was 206,000, down 6,000 from the week before.

This figure is below market expectations (210,000 cases).

The number of claims for ‘continuing unemployment benefits’ that apply for unemployment benefits for more than two weeks was 1.799 million during the week of August 2nd to 8th, an increase of 18,000 from the week before.

The number of new unemployment claims fell to 180,000 between July 12th and 18th, reaching the lowest level since 1969.

The number of claims has since risen again, but remains at historically low levels.

The U.S. labor market continues to be in a state of so-called 'no layoffs, no hiring' (no hiring, no fire), where companies are passive in laying off workers and are not actively hiring new workers.