USA: Initial weekly jobless claims fall to 209,000 versus 225,000 expected

• Initial claims for jobless benefits in the United States decreased by 24,000 in the week ending November 18.
• Applications for continued unemployment benefits fell to 1.84 million in the week ending November 11.
• The DXY Dollar Index advances to 103.70 after the data on jobless claims and durable goods orders.

Initial claims for jobless benefits reached 209,000 in the week ending Nov. 18, according to weekly data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor. This is the lowest figure in the last five weeks. This figure follows the previous week’s figure of 233,000 (revised from 231,000) and improved market expectations of 225,000.

Continuing job applications decreased by 22,000 in the week ending November 11, to 1.84 million. This is the first decline after eight consecutive weeks of growth.

Market reaction

Along with the requests for unemployment benefits, orders for durable goods were published. The Dollar Index is now rising slightly on the day, reaching levels above 103.70.