US Unemployment Claims Rise to 247,000 in Late May 2025

By News Desk - Jun 05, 2025, 01:31 PM ET

Last Updated - Jun 05, 2025, 08:31 AM EDT

US Unemployment Claims Rise to 247,000 in Late May 2025

The recent figures mark an uptick in initial claims as revisions show previous improvement

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an increase in seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims to 247,000 for the week ending May 31, 2025. This represents an 8,000 rise from the revised figure of the previous week, underscoring subtle shifts in the labor market conditions.

The report also disclosed a revision in the previous week's initial claims, which were adjusted down by 1,000 to 239,000. Notably, the four-week moving average also saw an increase of 4,500 to 235,000, highlighting a growing trend.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate, however, showed a slight improvement, dropping to 1.2% for the week ending May 24. Concurrently, the number of seasonally adjusted insured unemployed decreased by 3,000 to 1,904,000. Despite this, the four-week moving average for insured unemployment climbed by 8,000 to 1,895,250, marking the peak since November 27, 2021.

Unadjusted figures further depicted a decrease in initial claims under state programs, totaling 208,642, a reduction by 3,128 from the prior week. The seasonal adjustments expected a more significant drop of 10,505. Meanwhile, the unadjusted insured unemployment rate stabilized at 1.2% with insured unemployment in state programs declining by 18,524 to 1,757,031.

The report highlighted geographic disparities, with certain states including Michigan and Nebraska experiencing significant increases in claims due to manufacturing layoffs. Conversely, states like Massachusetts and Illinois reported noticeable declines. The figures offer a mixed narrative, suggesting localized economic variances amidst a relatively stable national unemployment landscape.