US Initial Unemployment Claims Rise Amid Federal Data Release Halt

In the week ending September 27, 2025, initial unemployment claims in the U.S. showed a slight increase, with Goldman Sachs estimating a rise from 218,000 to 224,000 amid a federal government shutdown that delayed Labor Department data releases. Despite this uptick, the overall number of people receiving benefits declined slightly, and the national unemployment rate remained steady at around 4.3%, according to private real-time data analyses. Regionally, states like Massachusetts and Illinois experienced increases in initial claims, while Alaska saw the largest percentage jump and South Carolina the largest decrease. Ohio reported a modest rise in new claims but a drop in continued claims, with its unemployment rate at 5.0%, higher than the national average. Meanwhile, job cuts have been notably high this year, with nearly one million announced layoffs, the highest since 2020, reflecting ongoing labor market challenges amid economic uncertainties and factors such as cost increases and AI adoption. Employment services in states like Ohio continue to support job seekers through training and placement programs as the labor market shows signs of stagnation.