Unemployment claims, a key indicator of layoffs, have shown a slight increase in recent weeks but have remained relatively stable overall. Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 6,000 to 225,000 for the week ending September 28, according to the latest report.
Economists at Pantheon Macroeconomics had predicted this rise, attributing it to ongoing furloughs at Boeing facilities in Washington and Oregon due to a strike involving 32,000 machinists. Both states experienced an uptick in first-time claims last week, as indicated in the report released on Thursday.
