US Jobless Claims Held Steady at 213,000 for the Second Straight Week in February

The US labor market has shown remarkable consistency in early 2026. For the week ending February 28, seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims stayed unchanged at 213,000, while the four-week moving average fell by by 4,750 to 215,750. Insured unemployment for the week ending February 21 rose 46,000 to 1,868,000, though the insured unemployment rate held steady at 1.2%. Total claims across all programs for the week ending February 14 stood at 2,173,255. Rhode Island recorded the largest weekly jump in initial claims, rising 1,515, due to layoffs across transportation, food services, construction, and healthcare. Meanwhile, Michigan saw the steepest decline at 3,577, followed by New York down 2,694, Ohio down 1,956, Texas down 1,184, and Kentucky down 1,012. The highest insured unemployment rates were in Rhode Island at 3.0%, New Jersey at 2.9%, and Massachusetts at 2.8%.