Jobless Claims Released On 3/5/2015 8:30:00 AM Fo
Post# of 63703
Released On 3/5/2015 8:30:00 AM For wk2/28, 2015
Prior Consensus Consensus Range
New Claims - Level 313 K 300 K 290 K to 305 K
Recent History Of This Indicator
Initial jobless claims surged unexpectedly in the February 21 week, up 31,000 to a 313,000 level. The 4-week average was up 11,500 to 294,500 but was still more than 10,000 below a month ago in a comparison that, despite the latest week's surge, still points to improvement for the labor market. Data on continuing claims, which are reported with a 1-week lag, were mixed. Continuing claims for the February 14 week fell 21,000 to 2.401 million but the 4-week average rose 2,000 to 2.399 million.
Definition
New unemployment claims are compiled weekly to show the number of individuals who filed for unemployment insurance for the first time. An increasing (decreasing) trend suggests a deteriorating (improving) labor market. The four-week moving average of new claims smoothes out weekly volatility. Why Investors Care