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Labor Markets · October 18, 2026 · 2 min read

Initial jobless claims edge up to 199,000 in week ending October 10

By Econ Data Tools Editorial Team

Published October 18, 2026 • Updated October 18, 2026

Reviewed by Editorial QC

Seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims rose by 1,000 to 199,000 in the week ending October 10, the Department of Labor reported October 15, holding below 200,000 for a third straight week. The four-week moving average ticked up to 198,500, while insured unemployment fell by 4,000 to 1.71 million in the week ending October 3.

Seasonally adjusted initial unemployment insurance claims totaled 199,000 in the week ending October 10, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level of 198,000, the U.S. Department of Labor reported on October 15. The previous week's figure was revised up by 1,000 from 197,000. The four-week moving average, which smooths weekly volatility, rose by 250 to 198,500. A year earlier, initial claims stood at 222,000, leaving current layoff activity well below year-ago levels. Continuing claims painted a similarly stable picture. The advance number of seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending October 3 was 1,710,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level, with the insured unemployment rate unchanged at 1.1 percent. The four-week moving average for insured unemployment fell by 1,750 to 1,708,750. On an unadjusted basis, actual initial claims under state programs totaled 190,626 in the week ending October 10, an increase of 19,456 or 11.4 percent from the prior week, close to the 11.0 percent increase seasonal factors had expected. There were 210,777 initial claims in the comparable week in 2025. The total number of continued weeks claimed for benefits in all programs for the week ending September 26 was 1,525,589, an increase of 5,512 from the previous week and down from 1,716,298 a year earlier. No state was triggered 'on' the Extended Benefits program during the week ending September 26. State detail showed the highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending September 26 in New Jersey (2.0 percent), Massachusetts (1.8), Washington (1.8), California (1.7), Nevada (1.6) and Puerto Rico (1.6). The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending October 3 were in California (+4,295), Illinois (+1,108), New Jersey (+856), New York (+743) and Texas (+670). The readings keep initial claims inside the narrow sub-200,000 band that has held since late September, consistent with a labor market where layoffs remain low even as hiring momentum has cooled.

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