The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits last week fell to its lowest level in more than 50 years, according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Labor.
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending April 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 189,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 214,000 to 215,000. The 4-week moving average was 207,500, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 250 from 210,750 to 211,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent for the week ending April 18, unchanged from the previous week’s unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 18 was 1,785,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised down by 13,000 from 1,821,000 to 1,808,000. The 4-week moving average was 1,797,250, a decrease of 11,750 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised down by 3,250 from 1,812,250 to 1,809,000.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 179,765 in the week ending April 25, a decrease of 26,668 (or -12.9 percent) from the previous week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 1,724 (or -0.8 percent) from the previous week. There were 224,021 initial claims in the comparable week in 2025.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent during the week ending April 18, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted level of insured unemployment in state programs totaled 1,785,439, a decrease of 63,704 (or -3.4 percent) from the preceding week. The seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 41,574 (or -2.2 percent) from the previous week. A year earlier the rate was 1.2 percent and the volume was 1,898,153.
The total number of continued weeks claimed for benefits in all programs for the week ending April 11 was 1,880,515, a decrease of 35,858 from the previous week. There were 1,909,033 weekly claims filed for benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2025.
No state was triggered “on” the Extended Benefits program during the week ending April 11.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 446 in the week ending April 18, a decrease of 6 from the prior week. There were 361 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 19 from the preceding week.
There were 9,343 continued weeks claimed filed by former Federal civilian employees the week ending April 11, a decrease of 691 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 4,565, an increase of 82 from the prior week.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending April 11 were in New Jersey (2.5), Massachusetts (2.2), Washington (2.2), California (2.1), Rhode Island (2.1), New York (2.0), Minnesota (1.9), Illinois (1.8), Oregon (1.8), Nevada (1.7), and Puerto Rico (1.7).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 18 were in New York (+2,885), California (+1,590), Tennessee (+1,562), Kentucky (+1,179), and South Carolina (+1,115), while the largest decreases were in New Jersey (-4,280), Pennsylvania (-2,742), Virginia (-1,528), Wisconsin (-1,248), and Indiana (-1,150).
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