The number of initial jobless claims in the U.S. saw the largest increase in three months, while continuing claims rose to the highest level since 2021

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi reports, the number of initial jobless claims in the United States recorded the largest increase in nearly three months last week, indicating that layoffs may be increasing, further exacerbating signs of a weakening labor market.

The Labor Department stated on Thursday that for the week ending August 16, the seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims increased by 11,000 to 235,000, marking the largest increase since the end of May. As companies respond to Trump's protectionist trade policies, the labor market has shown a situation of "low layoffs and weak hiring."

The government reported earlier this month that the average monthly job increase over the past three months was 35,000. The growth rate of domestic demand in the second quarter has slowed to the lowest since the fourth quarter of 2022. The report showed that for the week ending August 9, the number of continuing jobless claims increased by 30,000 to 1.972 million, the highest since November 2021.