The Labor Department released a report on Thursday unexpectedly showing a modest decrease in first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits in the week ended July 22nd.
The report said initial jobless claims slipped to 221,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 228,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to inch up to 235,000.
With the unexpected decrease, jobless claims fell to their lowest level since hitting a matching figure in the week ended February 25th.
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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.