Please note: The data visualization embeds on this page are best viewed on a laptop or desktop computer.

In the week ending January 24, the total number of initial claims was 231.181, a decrease of about 15% from the previous week. In comparison, continued claims totaled 2,146,572 in the week ending January 17 (the data lags by a week), down nearly 4% from the previous week. 

Overall, both initial and continued claims remain below their 2025 levels and have declined for two consecutive weeks. On a year-over-year basis, initial claims fell by 5.4%, while continued claims declined by 1.2%. Notably, improvements in continued claims are more informative for assessing labor market conditions, as they better capture trends in long-term unemployment.
 

More good news when looking at the local data: among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, only 8 states saw a rise in initial claims between January 17 and 24. The largest increases that week were in Nebraska (207.4%), Oklahoma (52.3%), and Virginia (27.6%). In contrast, the largest decreases were observed in Kentucky (-59.7%), South Carolina (-52.8%), and Mississippi (-50.7%).

Regarding continued claims, 17 states saw increases between January 10 and 17. In Kentucky, while initial claims dropped by nearly 60%, continued claims rose by 12.1% from the prior week. Kentucky was followed by Virginia (9.5%) and Indiana (5.8%). The most meaningful decreases were registered in Georgia (-20.8%), Hawaii (-20.3%), and Wisconsin (-16.3%).

In the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) region, initial claims rose in Virginia and the District but declined in Maryland. Continued claims decreased in Maryland and Virginia, while showing a modest decline in the District. These mixed dynamics reflect the impact of federal government layoffs in 2025 alongside a broader weakening of the labor market at the national level.

Unemployment insurance claims data are among the timeliest labor market indicators available. Staying up to date on changes in unemployment can help anticipate shifts in local markets, including homebuyers’ income, homeowners’ ability to keep up with mortgage payments, and even migration trends. 

To see how unemployment insurance claims have changed in your market, select your state below: