(Finance) – Growth more than expected claims for unemployment benefits in the US. In the week to May 14, 2022, the “claims” amounted to 218,000 units, an increase of 21,000 units compared to the previous week’s figure of 197,000 (revised from 203,000). The figure is higher than analysts’ expectations, which were for requests equal to 200 thousand units.
There average of the last four weeks – based on data from the US Department of Labor – it settled at 199,500,000 units, an increase of 8,250,000 units compared to the previous week’s figure of 191,250. The four-week average is seen as a more accurate indicator of the health of the labor market, as it smooths out the sharp fluctuations observed weekly.
Finally, in the week of May 7, the ongoing requests for subsidies they stood at 1,317,000, down by 25,000 units compared to the previous week’s figure (1,342,000). The consensus indicated a level of 1,320,000. This is the lowest level for this average since January 24, 1970, when it was 1,361,000.