Unemployment Insurance (UI) Claims

Weekly unemployment insurance claims are one of the most timely labor market indicators, released every Thursday by the DOL. Initial claims represent new applications for UI benefits. Continued claims (also called "insured unemployment") count people who have filed at least one week of benefits and are still claiming.

Initial claims are often used as a proxy for layoffs, since most newly unemployed workers file for benefits. However, eligibility rules, benefit levels, and filing behavior vary by state, making interstate comparisons tricky. The 4-week moving average smooths out week-to-week volatility. A sustained rise in initial claims often precedes a recession by several months.