U.S. initial claims for unemployment benefits (thousands) (as of 0801) last week, after seasonal adjustment, fell short of expectations: 199 vs 202

U.S. initial jobless claims came in at 199k, beating the 202k forecast, suggesting a slowing labor market cooling that supports loose monetary policy expectations.

Last week, the revised figure for initial claims in the U.S. was 199 thousand, lower than the expected 202 thousand, with the previous reading at 197 thousand. The lower-than-expected figure indicates that the cooling pace of the labor market has slowed, supporting expectations of continued loose monetary policy.