US weekly jobless claims fall to 215,000, signaling labor market resilience

Initial unemployment benefit claims in the United States dropped to 215,000 for the week ending June 20, a decline of 12,000 from the prior week’s revised figure and well below economists’ forecasts of 225,000‑226,000. The four‑week moving average of initial claims rose slightly to 224,250, while continuing claims, a proxy for those receiving benefits, increased by 21,000 to 1.821 million and the insured unemployment rate held steady at 1.2%.

The Labor Department’s data suggest that layoffs remain limited despite economic headwinds such as higher energy prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions. Unemployment stays low at 4.3%, job openings rose to 7.6 million in April, and hiring has been robust, with 172,000 new jobs added in May. Analysts note that stronger labor market readings lessen pressure on the Federal Reserve to ease policy, keeping the prospect of further interest‑rate hikes alive and supporting a firmer dollar and higher Treasury yields.