U.S. initial jobless claims rose 5,000 to 215,000 in the week ended May 23, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Department of Labor said on Thursday. A REUTERS SURVEY had forecast 211,000. Claims have remained in a roughly 190,000–230,000 range so far this year. Layoffs are still generally subdued despite high‑profile AI‑related tech cuts and elevated uncertainty from last year’s large import tariffs and the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict. May unemployment is expected to hold at 4.3%. Continuing claims hav

U.S. initial jobless claims rose 5,000 to 215,000 in the week ended May 23, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Department of Labor said on Thursday. A REUTERS SURVEY had forecast 211,000. Claims have remained in a roughly 190,000–230,000 range so far this year. Layoffs are still generally subdued despite high‑profile AI‑related tech cuts and elevated uncertainty from last year’s large import tariffs and the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict. May unemployment is expected to hold at 4.3%. Continuing claims have declined from last year’s highs, though part of the drop may reflect benefit exhaustion—most states cap benefits at 26 weeks.