U.S. weekly unemployment claims fall to 196,000, lowest since mid-July

The U.S. Labor Department reported that weekly unemployment claims fell to 196,000 for the week ending September 12, 2026, the lowest since mid-July. This was down from 206,000 the previous week and below economists' expectations of 207,500. The four-week average also declined to 203,250. The drop signals that layoffs remain rare, despite higher gasoline prices from the conflict with Iran. So far in 2026, employers have added an average of 80,000 jobs per month, including 162,000 in August, an improvement over 2025 but still below the pace of 2023-2024.