The US labor market just flashed a yellow light. Initial unemployment claims climbed to 225,000 for the week ending May 30, marking a 13,000 increase from the prior week and the highest reading since early February 2026.
Economists had expected claims to land somewhere between 213,000 and 215,000. They missed by a comfortable margin.
The numbers behind the jump
The previous week’s figure was revised down to 212,000, which makes the week-over-week spike look even more pronounced. A jump from 212,000 to 225,000 represents roughly a 6% increase in a single week.
The four-week moving average, which smooths out the noise of any single report, rose to 214,750. That’s also the highest it’s been since February 2026.
