U.S. jobless claims rise to 229,000 as insured unemployment rate holds at 1.2%

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U.S. jobless claims rise to 229,000

Highlights

Seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims for the week ending June 6 rise to 229,000, up 4,000 from the previous week's 225,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate for the week ending May 30 holds steady at 1.2%, with insured unemployment totaling 1,795,000, up 24,000 week-on-week.
The largest initial claims increases for the week ending May 30 occur in California, Minnesota, Tennessee, Ohio, and Illinois, while the insured unemployment rate peaks at 2.1% in New Jersey.

Weekly claims data for early June

As reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, seasonally adjusted initial claims for the week ending June 6 total 229,000, up 4,000 from the prior week's unrevised level of 225,000. The four-week moving average rises to 219,000, an increase of 4,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 214,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate for the week ending May 30 remains at 1.2%. Seasonally adjusted insured unemployment totals 1,795,000, up 24,000 from the prior week's revised level of 1,771,000, after that figure is revised down by 6,000.

On an unadjusted basis, initial claims under state programs total 228,276 in the week ending June 6, an increase of 39,713 from the previous week. Seasonal factors had expected an increase of 35,595, and the comparable week in 2025 recorded 243,980 initial claims.

The unadjusted insured unemployment rate for the week ending May 30 stays at 1.1%. Unadjusted insured unemployment in state programs reaches 1,686,991, up 48,667 from the preceding week, compared with a 1.2% rate and 1,826,063 claims a year earlier.

State trends and labor market implications

The total number of continued weeks claimed for benefits in all programs for the week ending May 23 is 1,665,617, down 20,205 from the prior week. In the comparable week of 2025, total weekly claims filed across all programs stand at 1,783,766, and no state is triggered on the Extended Benefits program during the week ending May 23.

Claims activity among specific worker groups is mixed. Initial claims filed by former federal civilian employees total 553 in the week ending May 30, up 89 from the previous week, while newly discharged veterans file 337 initial claims, down 48. Continued claims by former federal civilian employees for the week ending May 23 fall by 591 to 6,563, and continued claims by newly discharged veterans decline by 74 to 4,419.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending May 23 are in New Jersey at 2.1%, Washington at 2.0%, and Massachusetts at 1.9%, followed by California at 1.8%. The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending May 30 are in California, Minnesota, Tennessee, Ohio and Illinois, while the largest decreases are in Texas, New Jersey, Kansas, Massachusetts and Florida.

Our earlier article on the upcoming SAVE student-loan transition explained that starting July 1, borrowers will receive notices to pick a new repayment option within 90 days or be moved automatically into standard plans that are expected to raise monthly payments. We also noted the debate over whether the Department of Education should default borrowers into the lowest-cost available plan to reduce potential financial hardship during the shift.

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