US weekly Initial Jobless Claims decline to 220,000
- Initial Jobless Claims in the US fell by 8,000 in the week ending November 15.
- The US Dollar Index clings to modest daily gains above 100.00.
There were 220,000 Initial Jobless Claims in the week ending November 15, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's level, the US Department of Labor (DOL) reported on Thursday.
In this period, the 4-week moving average declined by 3,000 to 224,250.
"The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending November 8 was 1,974,000, an increase of 28,000 from the previous week's level. This is the highest level for insured unemployment since November 6, 2021, when it was 2,041,000," the DOL noted in its press release.
Market reaction
The US Dollar Index (DXY) retreats from session highs but stays in its daily range. At the time of press, the USD Index was up 0.1% on the day at 100.20
Employment FAQs
Labor market conditions are a key element to assess the health of an economy and thus a key driver for currency valuation. High employment, or low unemployment, has positive implications for consumer spending and thus economic growth, boosting the value of the local currency. Moreover, a very tight labor market – a situation in which there is a shortage of workers to fill open positions – can also have implications on inflation levels and thus monetary policy as low labor supply and high demand leads to higher wages.
The pace at which salaries are growing in an economy is key for policymakers. High wage growth means that households have more money to spend, usually leading to price increases in consumer goods. In contrast to more volatile sources of inflation such as energy prices, wage growth is seen as a key component of underlying and persisting inflation as salary increases are unlikely to be undone. Central banks around the world pay close attention to wage growth data when deciding on monetary policy.
The weight that each central bank assigns to labor market conditions depends on its objectives. Some central banks explicitly have mandates related to the labor market beyond controlling inflation levels. The US Federal Reserve (Fed), for example, has the dual mandate of promoting maximum employment and stable prices. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) sole mandate is to keep inflation under control. Still, and despite whatever mandates they have, labor market conditions are an important factor for policymakers given its significance as a gauge of the health of the economy and their direct relationship to inflation.