US jobless claims fall to 196,000, lowest since mid-July

US jobless claims fell to 196,000 last week in Washington, the lowest since mid-July. The Labor Department said the figure was down from 206,000 the prior week and below economists’ expectation of 207,500. The four-week average dropped to 203,250. The report adds to signs that layoffs remain rare and the U.S. labor market is still sturdy.

The Labor Department said the four-week average of jobless claims fell to 203,250.

Economists surveyed by FactSet had expected claims to rise to 207,500.

For the past year, weekly claims have mostly stayed in a historically low range of 200,000 to 230,000.

Employers have been adding an average of 80,000 jobs a month so far this year, including 162,000 in August.

Monthly job creation averaged 9,700 in 2025, compared with 166,000 in 2023 and 2024 and 491,000 during the 2021-2022 hiring boom.

Published Sep 18, 2026 12:46 am KST

A hiring sign is displayed at a grocery store, in Schaumburg, Ill., Wednesday AP-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped sharply last week, another sign that layoffs remain rare and most Americans enjoy job security.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims slid to 196,000, the fewest since mid-July and down from 206,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, dropped to 203,250.

Economists had expected claims to come in at 207,500, according to a survey by the data firm FactSet.

Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can be a sign of where the job market is headed. For the past year, claims have mostly stayed within a historically low range of 200,000 to 230,000 a week.

The American job market has remained sturdy despite higher gasoline prices that have squeezed businesses and consumers since the fighting with Iran began Feb. 28.

Layoffs are low. Businesses, remembering the labor shortages that followed the end of pandemic lockdowns, are reluctant to let go of staff. They’re hiring — but modestly by the standards of recent years.

So far this year, employers — companies, government agencies and nonprofits — have been adding an average 80,000 jobs a month, including a surprising 162,000 in August. That is an improvement on a dismal 2025 when monthly job creation averaged 9,700 as high interest rates and President Donald Trump’s ever-changing trade policies discouraged hiring.

But it remains well below the 166,000 monthly jobs created, on average, in 2023 and 2024, and the 491,000 a month recorded during the 2021-2022 hiring boom that followed COVID-19 lockdowns.

上周华盛顿公布的美国失业救济申请人数降至19.6万人，为7月中旬以来的最低水平。劳工部表示，该数字低于前一周的20.6万人，也低于经济学家预期的20.75万人。四周平均申请人数降至20.325万人。这份报告进一步表明，裁员仍然很少见，美国劳动力市场依然稳健。

劳工部表示，过去四周的平均失业救济申请人数降至 203,250 人。

FactSet调查的经济学家此前预计，失业救济申请人数将上升至207,500人。

过去一年，每周的失业救济申请人数大多维持在历史低位，在 20 万至 23 万之间。

今年以来，雇主平均每月新增就业岗位 8 万个，其中 8 月份新增就业岗位 16.2 万个。

2025 年每月平均新增就业岗位 9700 个，而 2023 年和 2024 年为 166000 个，2021-2022 年招聘热潮期间为 491000 个。

发布于2026年9月18日凌晨12:46（韩国标准时间）

周三，在伊利诺伊州绍姆堡的一家杂货店里，张贴着招聘启事。（美联社-韩联社）

华盛顿——上周申请失业救济金的人数大幅下降，这再次表明裁员仍然很少见，大多数美国人享有工作保障。

美国劳工部周四公布的数据显示，失业救济申请人数降至19.6万人，为7月中旬以来最低水平，低于前一周的20.6万人。为消除每周波动，过去四周的平均申请人数降至20.325万人。

根据数据公司 FactSet 的一项调查，经济学家此前预计申请人数将达到 207,500 人。

失业救济金申请人数是衡量裁员情况的指标，经济学家密切关注这一数据，因为它可以预示就业市场的走向。过去一年，失业救济金申请人数大多维持在每周20万至23万的历史低位区间。

尽管自2月28日与伊朗发生冲突以来，汽油价格上涨给企业和消费者带来了压力，但美国就业市场依然保持稳健。

裁员率很低。企业仍然记得疫情封锁结束后劳动力短缺的情景，因此不愿解雇员工。他们也在招聘，但与近年来的标准相比规模较小。

今年迄今为止，雇主——包括公司、政府机构和非营利组织——平均每月新增就业岗位8万个，其中8月份新增岗位数量更是高达16.2万个，令人瞩目。这与2025年的惨淡景象相比有了显著改善，当时由于高利率和特朗普总统不断变化的贸易政策抑制了招聘，每月平均新增就业岗位仅为9700个。

但这一数字仍然远低于 2023 年和 2024 年平均每月新增的 16.6 万个工作岗位，也低于 2021-2022 年新冠疫情封锁后招聘热潮期间每月新增的 49.1 万个工作岗位。