Initial Claims (4wk avg) stands at 218,750k as of July 4, 2026, down from 239,000k a year earlier. The reading sits in the 9th percentile of its history back to 1967.
| Latest (July 4, 2026) | 218,750k |
| One year ago | 239,000k |
| 10-year range | 197,500k – 5,288,250k |
| Percentile vs. full history | 9th |
| History | 1967–2026 (3102 observations) |
Initial jobless claims, 4-week average. The most timely labor-market indicator available (weekly). Low and falling claims signal a tight labor market; a sustained rise of ~15-20% off the cycle low has historically been an early recession warning.
<iframe src="https://www.tacticalassetallocation.com/charts/initial-jobless-claims/embed.html" width="800" height="360" loading="lazy" style="border:1px solid #ddd;border-radius:8px"></iframe>
<a href="https://www.tacticalassetallocation.com/charts/initial-jobless-claims/">Initial Claims (4wk avg) — Cambria Chart Lab</a>
Data: download CSV (source: FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)).