US Jobless Claims Rise Slightly as Layoffs Remain Low

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits increased by 4,000 last week, indicating a still-healthy job market.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The number of Americans filing for jobless aid rose by 4,000 to 212,000 in the week ending Feb. 21, the Labor Department reported. While layoffs have remained relatively low, some high-profile companies have announced job cuts recently. The data suggests the US job market is in a 'low-hire, low-fire' state, with the unemployment rate staying historically low but hiring slowing.

Why it matters

The jobless claims data is a real-time indicator of the health of the job market. While the overall numbers remain low, the recent announcements of layoffs at major companies like UPS, Amazon, and the Washington Post raise concerns about the strength of the labor market.

The details

The 4,000 increase in jobless claims last week was in line with analyst forecasts. The four-week moving average of claims ticked up by 750 to 220,250. The total number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the previous week fell by 31,000 to 1.83 million.

  • The data is for the week ending Feb. 21, 2026.
  • The Labor Department reported the data on Feb. 26, 2026.

The players

Labor Department

The federal agency that tracks and reports on employment data in the United States.

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What’s next

The Labor Department will release its February jobs report next week, which will provide more insight into the strength of the US labor market.

The takeaway

The latest jobless claims data suggests the US job market remains relatively healthy, with layoffs staying at historically low levels. However, the recent announcements of job cuts at major companies raise some concerns about the underlying strength of the labor market.