synopsis

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 12 fell to 1.84 million compared to 1.88 million in the previous week.

U.S. initial jobless claims rose by 6,000 from the previous week’s revised level to 222,000 in the week ending April 19, according to data provided by the Department of Labor.

A Bloomberg report stated that this aligns with the median forecast in a survey of economists.

The data indicated that the advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2% for the week ending April 12, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate.

At the same time, the advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment fell to 1.84 million compared to 1.88 million in the previous week.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the jobless claims figures have remained within a narrow range so far in 2025, indicating that there hasn’t been any significant rise in layoffs.

According to the Bloomberg report, Stephen Stanley, chief economist at Santander U.S. Capital Markets said that the latest figure is good news, as it indicates that businesses are not resorting to widespread layoffs.

In his recent speech, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell asserted that the central bank is well-positioned to wait for greater clarity before considering any adjustments to its monetary policy stance.

“We continue to analyze the incoming data, the evolving outlook, and the balance of risks. We understand that elevated levels of unemployment or inflation can be damaging and painful for communities, families, and businesses,” Powell stated.

Investors are closely watching the upcoming Fed policy in May. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, futures traders have factored in a 94.5% probability that the Fed will keep rates unchanged next month.

Traders are expecting the first 25-basis-point rate reduction in June, followed by another in July, and one each in October and December.

Meanwhile, benchmark U.S. indices rallied on Thursday. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 index, traded 1.32% higher, while the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ), which tracks the Nasdaq Composite, rose 1.86% by Thursday morning.

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