Trump Jobless Claims Hit Lowest Level Since 1969
American workers are holding onto their jobs at a rate not seen in generations. The Labor Department reported Thursday that initial unemployment claims fell to 197,000 for the week ending September 26 — a level last seen when a gallon of gas cost 36 cents.
A Three-Week Streak Nobody Has Matched
The numbers tell a remarkable story. Initial claims edged down 1,000 from the revised prior week and beat economists’ forecasts of 200,000. Claims have now held below 200,000 for three consecutive weeks — something that has happened only nine times since 1969, and every single one of those weeks came after the pandemic.
The four-week moving average, which smooths out weekly volatility, dropped 2,500 to 200,000, a seven-week low and roughly 34,000 lower than a year ago.
The Strongest January-to-September Stretch in 57 Years
Zoom out and the picture gets even brighter. Year to date, claims are averaging just under 210,000 through September — the lowest January-through-September average since 1969. No year from 1970 through last year even came close.
Continuing claims — the number of people still collecting benefits week to week — fell 11,000 to 1,701,000 for the week ended September 19, the lowest level in three years. They have now run below year-ago levels for 34 straight weeks.
Layoffs Are Rare, But Hiring Is Slow
To be fair, the data carries a caveat that economists keep repeating: layoffs are historically rare, but actual hiring is still sluggish. Companies are holding onto workers tightly, which keeps claims low, while job-hoppers find fewer open doors than a few years ago.
Still, for an economy that critics predicted would buckle under tariffs and trade fights, the labor market is flashing green. As one economist put it, when claims sit this low for this long, it means very few Americans are losing their jobs — and under this administration, that streak keeps running.
A Midterm Argument Written in Data
Trump has made the jobs story the centerpiece of his midterm campaign, and this report hands him fresh ammunition. The administration has been hammering the message that manufacturing is back, wages are rising, and the working class is winning.
With claims at a 57-year benchmark and continuing claims at a three-year low, the White House can point to hard federal data — not talking points — that American workers are more secure in their jobs than at any point in living memory.
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