Jobless claims fall as layoffs hold off
- Alexangel Ventura
- Aug 14
- 2 min read
In the week ending in August 9th, jobless claims via unemployment benefits applications fell as employers continue to try to withstand tariff-related pressures to lay off en masse.
According to the latest press release from the U.S. Department of Labor, in the week ending in August 9th, the latest time period tracked by the data as of August 14th, initial claims reached 224,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted insured unemployment figure was 1.3% in the week ending August 2nd, virtually unchanged from previous weeks.
As for unadjusted data, actual initial claims under state programs rose slightly (3,694) to 1.9%, a very minor increase compared to what some experts expected. The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.3% in the week ending August 2nd, unchanged from the previous week. The advance unadjusted level of insured unemployment in state programs fell 15,465 or -0.8%.
This data once again shows why the U.S. economy is showing some kind of strength amid tariff-related inflationary pressures. Many analysts have anticipated the far-reaching impacts of tariffs to come as early as June, but in fact recent August data has proven otherwise, although the revised BLS analytics of June and July job growth did indicate some weakness. Nevertheless, over the course of August, the labor market has remained strong.
This could be attributed to reduced tariff rates compared to what was proposed as a result of several periods of trade negotiations, such as with the European Union, Japan, and South Korea. With these lower rates, big bracket employers do not find it necessary right away (at least) to contribute mass layoffs, but this does not mean that hiring is still widely available; in fact, rates of new hires have reached very low levels as of recent, and post-graduate unemployment as surged as a result.
