US: Initial Jobless Claims dropped to 198K last week

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Initial Jobless Claims decreased to 198K vs. the previous week.
Continuing Jobless Claims went down to 1.884M.

According to a report from the US Department of Labour (DOL) released on Thursday, the number of US citizens submitting new applications for unemployment insurance went down to 198K for the week ending January 10. The latest print came in short of initial estimates (215K) and was lower than the previous week’s 207K (revised from 208K).

Additionally, the 4-week moving average decreased by 6.50K, bringing it to 205K from the revised average of the previous week (211.5K).

The report also indicated that Continuing Jobless Claims dropped by 19K to 1.884M for the week ending January 3.

Market reaction

The Greenback trades with decent gains in the wake of the weekly release of the weekly readings from the US labour market, with the US Dollar Index (DXY) navigating comfortably above the key 99.00 hurdle amid rising US Treasury yields across the board.

Employment FAQs

How do employment levels affect currencies?

Labor market conditions are a key element to assess the health of an economy and thus a key driver for currency valuation. High employment, or low unemployment, has positive implications for consumer spending and thus economic growth, boosting the value of the local currency. Moreover, a very tight labor market – a situation in which there is a shortage of workers to fill open positions – can also have implications on inflation levels and thus monetary policy as low labor supply and high demand leads to higher wages.

Why is wage growth important?

The pace at which salaries are growing in an economy is key for policymakers. High wage growth means that households have more money to spend, usually leading to price increases in consumer goods. In contrast to more volatile sources of inflation such as energy prices, wage growth is seen as a key component of underlying and persisting inflation as salary increases are unlikely to be undone. Central banks around the world pay close attention to wage growth data when deciding on monetary policy.

How much do central banks care about employment?

The weight that each central bank assigns to labor market conditions depends on its objectives. Some central banks explicitly have mandates related to the labor market beyond controlling inflation levels. The US Federal Reserve (Fed), for example, has the dual mandate of promoting maximum employment and stable prices. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) sole mandate is to keep inflation under control. Still, and despite whatever mandates they have, labor market conditions are an important factor for policymakers given its significance as a gauge of the health of the economy and their direct relationship to inflation.