The number of initial jobless claims in the United States was slightly higher than expected, while the number of continuing claims reached a new high since the end of 2021.

In the United States, the initial jobless claims for the week ending on June 7th rose to 248,000, slightly higher than the expected 240,000. The previous figure was revised from 247,000 to 248,000, marking the highest level since October last year. These numbers may have been influenced by the end of the school year and summer vacations. Initial jobless claims reached a high level in early June, indicating that it is taking longer for unemployed Americans to find new jobs. Continuing jobless claims in the US for the week ending on May 31st stood at 1.956 million, higher than the expected 1.91 million. The previous figure was revised from 1.904 million to 1.902 million, the highest level since the end of 2021. The increase in initial jobless claims coincides with a slowdown in hiring, suggesting that unemployed Americans are struggling to find work. However, the period covered by this report includes Memorial Day and pre-summer vacation holidays in some states, leading to greater volatility in the data. As the school year comes to an end this month and some states allow non-teaching staff to claim benefits during the long summer vacation, the number of applicants may continue to rise. Despite the lack of widespread layoffs due to the economic uncertainty caused by Trump's trade policies, the labor market is gradually losing momentum. The White House's crackdown on immigration has also slowed job growth. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 139,000 in May, lower than the 193,000 in the same period last year. The Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged at its meeting next week, as policymakers await the impact of Trump's policies on the economy. While job growth slowed in May, it remains solid overall, and inflation data released this week suggests that the impact of tariffs on consumer prices has been limited. Bloomberg economist Eliza Winger said, "Employers are cautious about the outlook for economic growth, leading to relatively low hiring rates and making it more difficult for the unemployed to find new jobs."