Initial Jobless Claims 4-week average

This indicator measures the average number for the last four releases of the Initial Jobless Claims, which are released every Thursday. It is published by the US Department of Labor as a measure of the number of people filing first-time claims for state unemployment insurance. It provides a measure of strength in the labor market. An increasing trend in this number indicates weakness in this market which influences the strength and direction of the US economy. Generally speaking, a decreasing trend should be taken as bullish for the US Dollar (USD) while a higher reading should be taken as bearish.