Four-week average of claims hits highest since September

  • Jobless claims rise slightly to 219,000 in the latest week
  • Four-week average of claims is highest since September
  • Economists expect claims might drift higher over the summer
  • Labor market remains tight despite slight increase

Initial jobless claims rose by 3,000 to 219,000 in the week ending May 25, according to the Labor Department. The four-week average of claims reached its highest level since last September. Despite the increase, economists believe that the labor market remains tight and people can still find new jobs with relative ease. Stocks are set to open lower, while the yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell in early trading.

Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate and objective information about initial jobless claims, including relevant data and expert opinions from economists. It presents the numbers clearly and discusses their implications for the labor market without any sensationalism or personal perspective.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about initial jobless claims and the labor market but lacks in-depth analysis or actionable insights. It mainly reports on recent numbers without exploring long-term trends or consequences of decisions. The language is concise and stays on topic, but it could benefit from more context and expert opinions.
Key People: Ian Shepherdson (Head of Pantheon Macroeconomics), Thomas Simons (Economist at Jefferies)

Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Initial jobless claims and stock market (DJIA, SPX) impacted
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses the increase in initial jobless claims and its potential impact on the labor market, which can affect financial markets such as stocks and bond yields.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no mention of an extreme event in the article. It discusses initial jobless claims and their impact on the labor market, but does not describe any major disasters or crises.

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com