U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to 203,000 as Unemployment Holds at 4.1%
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 27
U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to 203,000 as Unemployment Holds at 4.1%
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Aug 27
Summary
203,000 Americans filed new jobless claims last week, down from a revised 207,000 and keeping layoffs near historically low levels.
205,500 was the four-week average, and claims have mostly stayed in a 200,000-to-230,000 band for the past year, reinforcing a labor market economists describe as "no hire, no fire."
4.1% unemployment has held low partly because more than 1.3 million people left the labor force over the past year, while employers remain reluctant to cut staff after post-pandemic worker shortages.
61,000 jobs a month have been added so far in 2026—better than 9,700 last year but still far below 166,000 in 2023-24—and economists expect August payrolls to rise by 65,000 next week.