Initial claims for the week ended June 6 rose from 225,000 and came in above expectations of about 219,000 to 220,000, indicating a modest softening in labor-market conditions.
U.S. initial jobless claims climbed to 229,000 in the week ended June 6, the highest weekly level since the week of Feb. 7, 2026. The reading was above expectations, which were cited at 219,000 in one report and 220,000 in another, and up from the prior week's 225,000. The data points to a modest increase in labor-market stress, though a single weekly reading is typically not enough on its own to establish a broader trend.