What are the latest jobless claims figures and when are they released?
The short answer
The latest figure is 194,000 seasonally adjusted initial claims for the week ending October 17, 2026, down 6,000 from the revised prior week, according to the US Department of Labor. Releases are Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. US Eastern, except Wednesday November 25, 2026.
The latest figures
According to the US Department of Labor's Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report released October 22, 2026, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 194,000 for the week ending October 17. That was a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level of 200,000.
The 4-week moving average was 197,750, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised average. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.1 percent for the week ending October 10, unchanged from the prior week, with 1,728,000 people claiming ongoing benefits.
When the figures are released
The Department of Labor publishes the report at 8:30 a.m. US Eastern time, which is 12:30 or 13:30 UTC depending on daylight saving. The schedule below comes from the department's official claims archive page.
One release in the listed period falls on a Wednesday: November 25, 2026, the day before Thanksgiving. The rest are Thursdays.
What the release measures
Initial claims count people who filed a first claim for unemployment benefits in the week covered by the report. The department publishes a seasonally adjusted figure and an unadjusted figure, plus a 4-week moving average and state-level detail.
| Release date | US Eastern | UTC |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 29, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 12:30 |
| Thu, Nov 5, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 13:30 |
| Thu, Nov 12, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 13:30 |
| Thu, Nov 19, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 13:30 |
| Wed, Nov 25, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 13:30 |
| Thu, Dec 3, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 13:30 |
| Thu, Dec 10, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 13:30 |
| Thu, Dec 17, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | 13:30 |
Questions
What were initial jobless claims last week?
For the week ending October 17, 2026, seasonally adjusted initial claims were 194,000, according to the Department of Labor's October 22 release.
What time are jobless claims released?
8:30 a.m. US Eastern time, which is 12:30 UTC on October 29, 2026 and 13:30 UTC on the later dates listed.
Are jobless claims released every Thursday?
Usually. In the published schedule, the November 25, 2026 release falls on a Wednesday.
Where do the figures come from?
The US Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration publishes the weekly Unemployment Insurance Claims Report.
Sources
- US Department of Labor — Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report (October 22, 2026)
- US Department of Labor — Employment and Training Administration news releases
- US Department of Labor — Claims archive (official schedule)
Checked against these official sources on October 24, 2026 by the Kairotick team. Rules and schedules change; check the source before you rely on a detail.
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