Simple year-over-year comparison of unemployment insurance claims
Track how 2025 unemployment claims compare to previous years - clear trends, easy insights.
This week, 193,000 people filed new unemployment claims. This is essentially unchanged from previous years - virtually identical to the same week in 2024 (192K) and close to 2022 (187K). After some volatility including a spike to 260K three weeks ago, the level has stabilized around the low-to-mid 190s, following typical summer seasonal patterns.
Each line shows how many people filed for unemployment each week. Lower is better. We're currently at week 32.
This shows how many people are receiving unemployment benefits each week. 2025 shows mixed patterns compared to recent years.
Stability: New unemployment claims are running at very similar levels to recent years, suggesting stable labor market conditions. Watch this: After some summer volatility (peaking at 260K), claims have settled back to typical levels around 193K.
Looking at year-over-year percentage changes reveals the underlying trends in the labor market. Positive values mean more claims than the previous year (worse conditions), while negative values mean fewer claims (better conditions). This view shows how 2025 compares to 2024, and how previous years compared to each other, revealing the direction and momentum of labor market changes.
Negative values (green) = fewer claims than previous year. Positive values (red) = more claims.
Shows how many people staying on unemployment is changing compared to previous year.
2025 Performance: Initial claims in 2025 are running about 3% higher than 2024 on average, indicating a modest softening in labor market conditions. More people are also staying on unemployment benefits (+1.5% vs 2024), suggesting it may be taking longer to find jobs. Recent pattern: The current week shows minimal change (+0.5%) compared to 2024, indicating relatively stable conditions despite the broader trend toward slightly higher claims.
When we look at unemployment claims relative to each state's population, a different picture emerges. While California still leads in raw numbers (38,036 claims), on a per-capita basis, other states show higher unemployment stress. This analysis shows claims per 1,000 people, giving us a better view of which states face the most unemployment pressure relative to their size.
Why per-capita matters: Raw numbers favor large states, but per-capita rates show which states have the highest unemployment stress relative to their population. California (0.98 per 1,000) and New Jersey (0.97 per 1,000) show the highest relative rates, while states like Texas (0.50 per 1,000) and Florida (0.27 per 1,000) show much lower unemployment pressure despite their large populations.
Stable conditions: 193K claims this week is virtually identical to 2024 (192K) and close to historical norms, suggesting steady labor market performance.
Recovery from volatility: After spiking to 260K in mid-July, claims have stabilized back to normal levels around 193K.
Summer volatility patterns: We saw significant fluctuation with claims jumping from 193K to 260K and back to 193K over the past few weeks.
Continuing claims trends: At 1.95 million people receiving benefits, levels remain comparable to recent years but worth monitoring for changes.
The job market shows stable conditions in August 2025. New unemployment claims at 193K are running at levels nearly identical to recent years, indicating steady labor market fundamentals. The temporary spike to 260K in mid-July has resolved, with claims returning to typical summer levels. The data suggests neither significant improvement nor deterioration, but rather a labor market operating within normal parameters.
The blue line shows actual claims, the dashed line shows the smoothed trend. Recent stabilization after mid-summer volatility.
Weekly analysis of U.S. Department of Labor unemployment insurance data • Simple insights, clear trends