First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly showed another modest decrease in the week ended January 21st, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday.
The report said initial jobless claims edged down to 186,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level of 192,000.
The dip surprised economists, who had expected jobless claims to rise to 205,000 from the 190,000 originally reported for the previous week.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.