US Weekly Unemployment Claims Climb to 2-Month High

This was the fourth consecutive week in which recurring claims remained below 1.9 million.

A hiring ad displayed at a coffee shop in Kerrville, Texas, on July 9, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The number of Americans applying for first-time unemployment benefits climbed to a two‑month high, pointing to a pickup in layoffs.

For the week ending Jan. 31, initial jobless claims jumped by 22,000 to 231,000, from the previous week’s reading of 209,000, according to new Department of Labor data released on Feb. 5.