|

US: Weekly Initial Jobless Claims decline to 340K vs. 345K expected

  • Weekly Initial Jobless Claims in US declined by 14,000.
  • US Dollar Index continues to move sideways around 92.50.

There were 340,000 initial claims for unemployment benefits in the US during the week ending August 28, the data published by the US Department of Labor (DOL) revealed on Thursday. This reading followed the previous print of 354,000 (revised from 353,000) and came in slightly better than the market expectation of 345,000.

Market reaction

The US Dollar Index showed no immediate reaction to this report and was last seen posting small daily losses at 92.46.

Additional takeaways

"The 4-week moving average was 355,000, a decrease of 11,750 from the previous week's revised average."

"The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.0 percent for the week ending August 21."

"The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending August 21 was 2,748,000, a decrease of 160,000 from the previous week's revised level."

Author

Eren Sengezer

As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.

More from Eren Sengezer
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD flirts with daily highs, retargets 1.1900

EUR/USD regains upside traction, returning to the 1.1880 zone and refocusing its attention to the key 1.1900 barrier. The pair’s slight gains comes against the backdrop of a humble decline in the US Dollar as investors continue to assess the latest US CPI readings and the potential Fed’s rate path.

GBP/USD remains well bid around 1.3650

GBP/USD maintains its upside momentum in place, hovering around daily highs near 1.3650 and setting aside part of the recent three-day drop. Cable’s improved sentiment comes on the back of the Greenback’s  irresolute price action, while recent hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill also collaborate with the uptick.

Gold clings to gains just above $5,000/oz

Gold is reclaiming part of the ground lost on Wednesday’s marked decline, as bargain-hunters keep piling up and lifting prices past the key $5,000 per troy ounce. The precious metal’s move higher is also underpinned by the slight pullback in the US Dollar and declining US Treasury yields across the curve.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP in choppy price action, weighed down by falling institutional interest 

Bitcoin's upside remains largely constrained amid weak technicals and declining institutional interest. Ethereum trades sideways above $1,900 support with the upside capped below $2,000 amid ETF outflows.

Week ahead – Data blitz, Fed Minutes and RBNZ decision in the spotlight

US GDP and PCE inflation are main highlights, plus the Fed minutes. UK and Japan have busy calendars too with focus on CPI. Flash PMIs for February will also be doing the rounds. RBNZ meets, is unlikely to follow RBA’s hawkish path.

Ripple Price Forecast: XRP potential bottom could be in sight

Ripple edges up above the intraday low of $1.35 at the time of writing on Friday amid mixed price actions across the crypto market. The remittance token failed to hold support at $1.40 the previous day, reflecting risk-off sentiment amid a decline in retail and institutional sentiment.