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US Jobless Claims Fall to 198,000, Below All Estimates

US Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Tumble to 198,000

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By Jarrell Dillard

January 15, 2026 at 1:33 PM UTC

Updated on

January 15, 2026 at 1:54 PM UTC

Applications for US unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week to the lowest level since November, following weeks of holiday season volatility in the data.

Initial claims decreased by 9,000 to 198,000 in the week ended Jan. 10, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. The figure was below all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists.