US Initial Jobless Claims Fall to Two-Month Low of 197,000

U.S. initial jobless claims dropped to 197,000 for the week ended September 19, reaching their lowest level since mid-July and beating consensus estimates. The prior week's initial claims were revised upward to 198,000 from 196,000, while the four-week moving average dropped by 1,750 to 202,250. For the week ended September 12, continuing claims stood at 1.719 million, slightly above the prior week's revised 1.717 million but below market expectations of up to 1.750 million. The steady figures highlight persistent labor market resilience and contained corporate layoffs across the broader economy.