500metrics

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims · national and by state

How many people filed initial jobless claims this week?

Initial jobless claims were 199,000 in the week that ended , against 198,000 the week before (seasonally adjusted, from the Department of Labor).

Last updated . This page normally updates every week; the latest update is late.

Initial jobless claims each week, seasonally adjusted

105 weeks, to Seasonally adjusted, as published

Initial jobless claims each week, seasonally adjusted (28 September 2024 to 26 September 2026)

The linesLatest:

  • Initial claims199,000
  • Four-week average200,500

Initial jobless claims, average week of each month, seasonally adjusted

Jan 1967 to Sep 2026Averages ours, from the weekly figures

Initial jobless claims, average week of each month, seasonally adjusted (January 1967 to September 2026), recessions shaded
Initial jobless claims, average week of each month, seasonally adjusted (September 2016 to September 2026), recessions shaded
Initial jobless claims, average week of each month, seasonally adjusted (September 2024 to September 2026)

Shaded bands are US recessions as the National Bureau of Economic Research dates them: to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to .

Shaded bands are US recessions as the National Bureau of Economic Research dates them: to .

Continued jobless claims (insured unemployment) each week, seasonally adjusted

105 weeks, to Seasonally adjusted, as published

Continued jobless claims (insured unemployment) each week, seasonally adjusted (28 September 2024 to 26 September 2026)

The insured unemployment rate each week, seasonally adjusted

105 weeks, to Seasonally adjusted, as published

The insured unemployment rate each week, seasonally adjusted (28 September 2024 to 26 September 2026)

Each point is one week, dated the Saturday it ended, or the average week of one month (ours). Pointing at the chart shows the week or the month and the claims.

Select a line to followLatest:

Inspect and compare dates

The latest week beside the one before it and the nearest one a year earlier. Every week of the last two years is in the tables under "The numbers behind the chart".

MeasureLatestThe week beforeA year earlier
Week ended
Initial claims199,000198,000225,000
Four-week average200,500202,500234,000
Continued claims1,714,0001,699,0001,929,000
Insured unemployment rate1.1%1.1%1.3%
Initial claims, not seasonally adjusted158,339164,717179,162

Observed .

Right now

Initial jobless claims were 199,000 in the week that ended , the most since the week of .

The week before: 198,000. The same week a year earlier, ended : 225,000. The four-week average was 200,500.

See every week of the last two years

ChangeOurs

PeriodThenChange
One week198,000 in the week of +0.5%
Four weeks207,000 in the week of −3.9%
Fifty-two weeks225,000 in the week of −11.6%
Five yearsThe weeks here begin on
Ten yearsThe weeks here begin on

In historyOurs

The initial claims of 199,000 in the week of were higher than in 5 of the 104 other weeks since , the same in 1 and lower in 98.

Highest since : 259,000 in the week of . Lowest since : 189,000 in the week of .

AverageOurs

Average since : 219,961.9 (ours, a plain mean of the 105 weeks).

Continued claimsSeasonally adjusted

1,714,000 continued claims were filed for the week, an insured unemployment rate of 1.1%.

Not seasonally adjustedInitial claims as filed

158,339 initial claims were filed in the week that ended , before the seasonal adjustment. In the same week a year earlier, 179,162 were.

See every week before seasonal adjustment

Jobs coveredBy state unemployment insurance

153,732,307 jobs were covered by state unemployment insurance in the week that ended , against 152,830,813 a year earlier.

The insured unemployment rate is continued claims as a share of this number.

By stateWeek ended 10 October 2026, not seasonally adjusted

California had the most initial claims, 40,515, then Texas with 14,795 and New York with 13,545.

Initial jobless claims in each state and territory, largest first

Not seasonally adjusted, each state's latest weekWeek ended

  • California 40,515 43,219 a year earlier
  • Texas 14,795 16,474 a year earlier
  • New York 13,545 14,548 a year earlier
  • Pennsylvania 9,427 9,914 a year earlier
  • Ohio 8,627 5,202 a year earlier
  • New Jersey 8,223 8,968 a year earlier
  • Illinois 6,599 9,796 a year earlier
  • Florida 6,014 6,340 a year earlier
  • Tennessee 5,827 5,972 a year earlier
  • Michigan 5,612 6,109 a year earlier
  • Washington 5,513 6,510 a year earlier
  • Massachusetts 4,512 5,297 a year earlier
  • Oregon 4,100 4,478 a year earlier
  • Georgia 3,696 4,457 a year earlier
  • Colorado 3,375 3,444 a year earlier
The other 38 states and territories
  • Minnesota 3,236 3,554 a year earlier
  • North Carolina 2,936 3,279 a year earlier
  • Nevada 2,827 2,912 a year earlier
  • Indiana 2,776 3,018 a year earlier
  • Virginia 2,494 4,378 a year earlier
  • Arizona 2,475 2,864 a year earlier
  • Missouri 2,392 2,852 a year earlier
  • Maryland 2,252 2,991 a year earlier
  • Connecticut 2,249 2,390 a year earlier
  • Wisconsin 2,217 2,782 a year earlier
  • South Carolina 2,176 2,326 a year earlier
  • Kentucky 2,045 1,934 a year earlier
  • Alabama 1,736 2,367 a year earlier
  • Puerto Rico 1,531 1,717 a year earlier
  • Utah 1,462 1,572 a year earlier
  • Arkansas 1,450 1,414 a year earlier
  • Hawaii 1,337 1,178 a year earlier
  • Louisiana 1,261 1,672 a year earlier
  • Oklahoma 1,261 1,653 a year earlier
  • Kansas 1,208 1,256 a year earlier
  • Iowa 1,156 1,453 a year earlier
  • Mississippi 1,010 1,042 a year earlier
  • New Mexico 980 1,102 a year earlier
  • Idaho 783 866 a year earlier
  • Rhode Island 757 738 a year earlier
  • District of Columbia 667 1,528 a year earlier
  • Montana 629 681 a year earlier
  • West Virginia 588 730 a year earlier
  • Alaska 565 615 a year earlier
  • Nebraska 527 635 a year earlier
  • Delaware 465 255 a year earlier
  • Maine 461 520 a year earlier
  • Wyoming 391 460 a year earlier
  • Vermont 285 300 a year earlier
  • New Hampshire 281 476 a year earlier
  • North Dakota 230 259 a year earlier
  • South Dakota 200 232 a year earlier
  • Virgin Islands 35 48 a year earlier

The insured unemployment rate in each state and territory, highest first

Not seasonally adjusted, each state's latest weekWeek ended

  • New Jersey 1.98%
  • Washington 1.78%
  • Massachusetts 1.72%
  • California 1.67%
  • Nevada 1.58%
  • Puerto Rico 1.55%
  • Oregon 1.52%
  • Rhode Island 1.43%
  • New York 1.37%
  • Virgin Islands 1.29%
  • Illinois 1.26%
  • Hawaii 1.21%
  • Pennsylvania 1.18%
  • District of Columbia 1.16%
  • Connecticut 1.11%
The other 38 states and territories
  • Alaska 1.05%
  • Minnesota 1.05%
  • Colorado 1.03%
  • New Mexico 0.99%
  • Michigan 0.90%
  • Texas 0.89%
  • Delaware 0.86%
  • Maryland 0.81%
  • Montana 0.77%
  • West Virginia 0.68%
  • Ohio 0.64%
  • Arizona 0.63%
  • Maine 0.62%
  • Vermont 0.62%
  • South Carolina 0.59%
  • Utah 0.59%
  • Indiana 0.55%
  • Oklahoma 0.55%
  • Missouri 0.50%
  • Mississippi 0.49%
  • Virginia 0.49%
  • Wisconsin 0.49%
  • Georgia 0.48%
  • New Hampshire 0.47%
  • Idaho 0.45%
  • Kansas 0.44%
  • Wyoming 0.44%
  • Kentucky 0.43%
  • Nebraska 0.43%
  • Iowa 0.41%
  • Tennessee 0.41%
  • Arkansas 0.36%
  • North Carolina 0.35%
  • Alabama 0.33%
  • North Dakota 0.33%
  • Florida 0.31%
  • Louisiana 0.29%
  • South Dakota 0.20%

Each bar is one state's or territory's figure for its latest week, in order of size. On the initial claims bars, a short tick marks the same week a year earlier and its figure is under the bar's. Every state and territory is also in the table of the numbers behind the chart.

Observed .

See every state

Understanding jobless claims

Where it stands today

Initial claims were 199,000 in the week that ended .

What are initial and continued claims?

An initial claim is a claim for unemployment insurance filed after a person loses a job, to start a period of benefits; continued claims count the weeks of unemployment claimed by people already receiving benefits, so they follow how many people draw benefits (insured unemployment). The Department of Labor publishes the national figures each Thursday for the week that ended the Saturday before, and each state's figures with them.

Read more

The national figures here are seasonally adjusted, as the Department of Labor publishes them, so that weeks of the year can be compared with each other; the four-week average smooths out one-week moves. The national initial claims as filed and each state's figures are not seasonally adjusted, so a week of them is compared with the same week a year earlier. The insured unemployment rate is continued claims as a share of the jobs covered by unemployment insurance.

What 500metrics adds: the last week with more or fewer claims, and each month's and each year's average week, worked out from the published weekly figures.

The numbers behind the chart

How many claims were filed in each recent week?105 weeks, newest first
National jobless claims by week, seasonally adjusted, newest first
Week endedInitialFour-week averageContinuedInsured rate
199,000200,5001,714,0001.1%
198,000202,5001,699,0001.1%
198,000204,0001,712,0001.1%
207,000206,2501,717,0001.1%
207,000207,5001,765,0001.1%
204,000205,7501,775,0001.2%
207,000204,2501,771,0001.2%
212,000199,7501,796,0001.2%
200,000199,0001,781,0001.2%
198,000203,2501,799,0001.2%
189,000208,0001,777,0001.2%
209,000214,7501,789,0001.2%
Show 93 more rows
Week endedInitialFour-week averageContinuedInsured rate
217,000219,2501,798,0001.2%
217,000222,5001,821,0001.2%
216,000224,5001,806,0001.2%
227,000223,5001,812,0001.2%
230,000219,2501,800,0001.2%
225,000214,7501,786,0001.2%
212,000208,2501,771,0001.2%
210,000202,7501,785,0001.2%
212,000204,0001,771,0001.2%
199,000203,0001,776,0001.2%
190,000207,7501,758,0001.1%
215,000211,0001,776,0001.2%
208,000210,0001,808,0001.2%
218,000209,2501,809,0001.2%
203,000208,0001,787,0001.2%
211,000210,7501,832,0001.2%
205,000210,7501,816,0001.2%
213,000211,5001,851,0001.2%
214,000215,7501,847,0001.2%
211,000219,7501,871,0001.2%
208,000219,7501,827,0001.2%
230,000220,2501,865,0001.2%
230,000213,0001,859,0001.2%
211,000207,2501,842,0001.2%
210,000205,2501,823,0001.2%
201,000206,5001,865,0001.2%
207,000212,2501,875,0001.2%
203,000219,2501,900,0001.2%
215,000222,5001,860,0001.2%
224,000223,2501,910,0001.2%
235,000222,7501,887,0001.2%
216,000221,0001,894,0001.2%
218,000224,0001,932,0001.3%
222,000224,7501,943,0001.3%
228,000227,0001,949,0001.3%
228,000225,5001,946,0001.3%
221,000226,7501,962,0001.3%
231,000227,7501,953,0001.3%
222,000224,7501,947,0001.3%
233,000227,5001,928,0001.3%
225,000234,0001,929,0001.3%
219,000236,7501,921,0001.3%
233,000239,2501,916,0001.3%
259,000239,2501,925,0001.3%
236,000230,5001,927,0001.3%
229,000228,0001,937,0001.3%
233,000225,5001,942,0001.3%
224,000221,7501,957,0001.3%
226,000221,0001,942,0001.3%
219,000221,5001,963,0001.3%
218,000224,5001,936,0001.3%
221,000229,0001,941,0001.3%
228,000234,5001,949,0001.3%
231,000239,0001,952,0001.3%
236,000242,2501,954,0001.3%
243,000242,2501,960,0001.3%
246,000237,7501,935,0001.3%
244,000232,7501,947,0001.3%
236,000228,7501,896,0001.2%
225,000229,5001,917,0001.3%
226,000229,2501,889,0001.2%
228,000227,0001,884,0001.2%
239,000225,7501,876,0001.2%
224,000221,0001,906,0001.3%
217,000221,0001,840,0001.2%
223,000223,0001,876,0001.2%
220,000222,7501,852,0001.2%
224,000223,7501,889,0001.2%
225,000228,0001,852,0001.2%
222,000227,5001,876,0001.2%
224,000226,0001,857,0001.2%
241,000225,0001,889,0001.2%
223,000217,7501,849,0001.2%
216,000217,7501,862,0001.2%
220,000218,5001,840,0001.2%
212,000215,0001,876,0001.2%
223,000215,0001,854,0001.2%
219,000214,0001,891,0001.2%
206,000214,7501,850,0001.2%
212,000222,7501,868,0001.2%
219,000225,2501,833,0001.2%
222,000225,2501,881,0001.2%
238,000223,7501,865,0001.2%
222,000218,7501,859,0001.2%
219,000218,5001,866,0001.2%
216,000218,5001,887,0001.2%
218,000221,2501,887,0001.2%
221,000227,0001,870,0001.2%
219,000236,2501,876,0001.2%
227,000238,2501,853,0001.2%
241,000236,7501,882,0001.2%
258,000232,2501,869,0001.2%
227,000224,5001,858,0001.2%

The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.

How many initial claims were filed each week, before seasonal adjustment?105 weeks, newest first
National initial jobless claims by week, not seasonally adjusted, newest first
Week endedInitial claimsA year earlier
158,339179,162
164,717180,992
153,568195,433
177,695204,862
171,403196,712
170,596191,208
173,017194,217
189,203199,390
172,472195,492
176,535193,790
193,403216,023
246,015261,111
Show 93 more rows
Week endedInitial claimsA year earlier
226,177241,361
214,616230,392
208,005227,516
220,642234,859
228,955243,980
188,558207,512
188,099210,160
186,338200,637
191,451203,579
180,313206,710
180,670224,021
206,433210,816
215,042220,962
201,757216,534
186,258200,081
186,777199,900
190,982207,398
207,252214,007
214,269226,019
194,270220,856
209,876223,539
250,374232,685
252,952241,111
231,633228,484
272,436284,600
330,963352,630
298,700306,295
271,346283,652
264,566275,638
255,177252,349
314,915309,775
198,173211,323
244,713245,270
218,228214,254
238,729230,801
216,026212,741
203,012201,443
205,653203,475
210,777225,230
207,124236,171
179,162181,204
180,992n/a
195,433n/a
204,862n/a
196,712n/a
191,208n/a
194,217n/a
199,390n/a
195,492n/a
193,790n/a
216,023n/a
261,111n/a
241,361n/a
230,392n/a
227,516n/a
234,859n/a
243,980n/a
207,512n/a
210,160n/a
200,637n/a
203,579n/a
206,710n/a
224,021n/a
210,816n/a
220,962n/a
216,534n/a
200,081n/a
199,900n/a
207,398n/a
214,007n/a
226,019n/a
220,856n/a
223,539n/a
232,685n/a
241,111n/a
228,484n/a
284,600n/a
352,630n/a
306,295n/a
283,652n/a
275,638n/a
252,349n/a
309,775n/a
211,323n/a
245,270n/a
214,254n/a
230,801n/a
212,741n/a
201,443n/a
203,475n/a
225,230n/a
236,171n/a
181,204n/a
What was the average week of each month?The 120 months since Oct 2016, newest first; each year since 1967 is in the next table
Initial jobless claims, average of the weeks that ended in each month, seasonally adjusted, newest first (ours)
MonthAverage weekWeeks
200,5004
206,0005
203,2504
222,5004
211,6005
207,7504
208,0004
215,7504
211,8005
219,2504
222,4005
226,7504
234,0004
229,6005
221,5004
239,0004
231,8005
225,7504
223,0005
225,0004
215,0004
222,7504
219,2005
236,2504
Show 96 more rows
MonthAverage weekWeeks
224,5004
230,6005
237,2504
234,8005
222,0004
210,2504
215,2005
210,0004
211,5004
207,8005
218,0004
210,2504
218,6005
245,0004
235,2005
250,7504
226,0004
216,4005
229,0004
214,7504
204,5004
208,2005
210,7504
202,6005
197,5004
216,5004
218,2005
212,5004
209,7504
213,0005
215,0004
219,0004
239,2005
216,2504
236,5004
284,4005
354,7504
359,7504
370,0005
409,5004
469,2005
589,0004
669,2504
755,0004
827,8005
836,7504
751,2504
795,4005
851,7504
922,4005
1,383,5004
1,490,2504
2,173,4005
4,663,2504
2,335,2504
210,2005
215,5004
236,0004
224,4005
212,2504
209,5004
211,0005
208,5004
225,2005
218,5004
209,7504
211,8005
222,5004
222,7504
224,6005
225,2504
213,0004
205,2005
208,5004
209,5004
222,6005
221,2504
221,5004
225,8005
221,0004
235,2504
242,6005
247,7504
242,2504
272,4005
247,7504
250,8005
248,0004
239,0004
227,8005
233,7504
230,2504
244,0004
252,2005
245,7504
255,8005
What were the average, highest and lowest week of each year?60 calendar years, newest first
Initial jobless claims by calendar year, seasonally adjusted, newest first (ours)
YearAverage weekHighestWeek of the highestLowestWeek of the lowest
2026209,692230,000189,000
2025226,135259,000203,000
2024223,019258,000195,000
2023222,750259,000200,000
2022213,774250,000190,000
2021463,788890,000206,000
20201,358,0196,137,000202,000
2019217,712247,000196,000
2018219,462252,000201,000
2017244,212297,000216,000
Show 50 more rows
YearAverage weekHighestWeek of the highestLowestWeek of the lowest
2016262,019290,000232,000
2015277,808317,000260,000
2014307,981345,000276,000
2013343,308375,000300,000
2012374,615446,000340,000
2011408,604468,000368,000
2010459,000507,000404,000
2009573,731665,000468,000
2008417,942587,000321,000
2007320,750360,000296,000
2006312,365349,000282,000
2005331,075424,000302,000
2004342,212380,000313,000
2003402,269450,000349,000
2002403,731479,000377,000
2001405,538517,000318,000
2000299,340364,000259,000
1999297,500345,000268,000
1998317,038376,000294,000
1997321,615347,000301,000
1996351,788426,000326,000
1995358,731390,000324,000
1994340,019406,000314,000
1993343,692415,000290,000
1992409,404564,000313,000
1991447,346509,000408,000
1990385,019474,000331,000
1989329,865407,000282,000
1988309,321361,000284,000
1987324,827370,000289,000
1986377,981416,000344,000
1985391,923426,000359,000
1984373,558439,000333,000
1983440,623534,000362,000
1982586,096695,000489,000
1981450,904558,000392,000
1980488,231642,000394,000
1979383,308471,000336,000
1978341,154429,000304,000
1977373,849565,000334,000
1976383,481423,000333,000
1975473,500575,000365,000
1974351,962537,000269,000
1973244,000326,000214,000
1972263,057350,000225,000
1971295,731359,000244,000
1970296,558374,000230,000
1969196,385232,000177,000
1968197,058251,000162,000
1967226,942310,000191,000

The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.

How many claims were filed in each state?53 states and territories, by name
Jobless claims in each state's latest week, not seasonally adjusted
StateWeek endedInitialWeek beforeA year earlierContinuedInsured rate
Alabama1,7361,6662,3676,7890.33%
Alaska5654966153,3281.05%
Arizona2,4752,3182,86420,0940.63%
Arkansas1,4501,0291,4144,6120.36%
California40,51538,75743,219300,1981.67%
Colorado3,3753,1853,44429,1651.03%
Connecticut2,2492,0612,39018,8521.11%
Delaware4654462554,0850.86%
District of Columbia6676451,5286,6021.16%
Florida6,0145,3126,34029,8270.31%
Georgia3,6963,6844,45722,7240.48%
Hawaii1,3371,4591,1787,3351.21%
Idaho7836748663,9490.45%
Illinois6,5996,7479,79675,1891.26%
Indiana2,7762,2403,01817,2630.55%
Iowa1,1561,2591,4536,3440.41%
Kansas1,2089311,2566,1880.44%
Kentucky2,0451,2241,9348,4840.43%
Louisiana1,2611,1791,6725,4230.29%
Maine4614915203,9680.62%
Maryland2,2522,2702,99121,0070.81%
Massachusetts4,5124,4415,29761,7011.72%
Michigan5,6124,4176,10939,0860.90%
Minnesota3,2363,0453,55430,6351.05%
Mississippi1,0108271,0425,6180.49%
Missouri2,3922,1772,85214,2430.50%
Montana6295586813,8720.77%
Nebraska5275306354,3130.43%
Nevada2,8273,2712,91224,4991.58%
New Hampshire2813554763,1930.47%
New Jersey8,2238,2488,96884,0071.98%
New Mexico9807161,1028,3710.99%
New York13,54512,89814,548132,2471.37%
North Carolina2,9362,8023,27916,8820.35%
North Dakota2302272591,3880.33%
Ohio8,6274,7095,20234,6450.64%
Oklahoma1,2611,1281,6539,1320.55%
Oregon4,1004,1004,47829,7511.52%
Pennsylvania9,4277,4739,91470,4981.18%
Puerto Rico1,5311,4101,71714,3561.55%
Rhode Island7575987386,9931.43%
South Carolina2,1761,9502,32613,5830.59%
South Dakota2001462329120.20%
Tennessee5,8272,3505,97213,1760.41%
Texas14,79513,07416,474123,2430.89%
Utah1,4621,2681,57210,1050.59%
Vermont2853283001,8740.62%
Virgin Islands3553484441.29%
Virginia2,4942,3444,37819,2260.49%
Washington5,5134,7886,51062,9531.78%
West Virginia5884877304,5810.68%
Wisconsin2,2172,1172,78214,3410.49%
Wyoming3912624601,2110.44%

The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.

What do these figures leave out, and how are they cited?Limits, dates and how to cite

What this number cannot tell you

  • Claims count filings under state unemployment insurance programs; people who are not eligible, or who do not file, are not in them.
  • The latest week is revised the next week; this page shows each week as published now.
  • A state's continued claims are dated by the week they were filed in and count the week before.
  • The jobs covered by unemployment insurance are one number for each quarter; every week of the quarter carries it.

Observed . Checked .

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How to cite this

U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims (ETA 539), initial claims, seasonally adjusted, week ended 26 September 2026. Compiled by 500metrics, "How many people filed initial jobless claims this week?", https://500metrics.com/jobless-claims.

Can the data be downloaded?jobless-claims.csv

Download the recent weeks as CSV: 105 rows, to , 3,925 bytes.

Our text and compilation: CC BY 4.0.

Recession dates from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

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