US initial jobless claims unexpectedly fall, layoffs remain at low levels

Golden Ten Data reported on March 19 that last week, the number of initial jobless claims in the United States unexpectedly declined, indicating stable labor market conditions and a rebound in employment growth in March. The U.S. Department of Labor stated on Thursday that for the week ending March 14, initial jobless claims decreased by 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 205,000 (market expectation was 215,000), marking the lowest level since January last year and further confirming the limited scale of layoffs. The U.S. government introduced new seasonal factors for 2026 and revised seasonal factors for 2021 to 2025. Application data from 2021 to 2025 was also revised. Although companies are reluctant to increase their workforce due to uncertainties caused by concerns over large-scale tariffs imposed by Trump, the number of layoffs remains at a low level. Economists noted that the tightening of immigration policies by the Trump administration has led to a reduction in labor supply, which has also hindered employment growth.