The number of initial jobless claims in the United States last week was slightly lower than expected, indicating that the labor market remains stable.

In the week ending February 28, the initial jobless claims in the United States were 213,000, a new high since the week ending February 7, expected at 215,000, with the previous value revised from 212,000 to 213,000. The continued jobless claims in the United States as of February 21 were 1.868 million, expected at 1.85 million, with the previous value revised from 1.833 million to 1.822 million. In recent months, due to the impact of holidays and winter weather, there have been deviations in the number of jobless claims, which are now close to their lowest level in the past year. This further indicates that the labor market is still in an environment of low layoff rates. Earlier on Thursday, data released by Challenger, the job placement company, showed that the number of job cuts in February had fallen after a sharp increase last month. Another report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that productivity growth in the fourth quarter exceeded expectations. More importantly, the U.S. government will release the non-farm payroll report on Friday. The report is expected to show that after unexpectedly strong growth in January, hiring activity slowed down last month, with the unemployment rate remaining stable.