4-week moving average of initial claims at 205,000 — lowest since Jan. 20, 2024

True

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The Department of Labor's published weekly claims report shows the 4-week moving average of initial claims at 205,000 and documents it as the lowest since January 20, 2024.

Source summary
The Department of Labor reported that seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims for the week ending January 10 fell to 198,000 (down 9,000), with the 4-week moving average at 205,000 — its lowest since January 20, 2024. Seasonally adjusted insured unemployment for the week ending January 3 declined to 1,884,000 (down 19,000) and the insured unemployment rate remained 1.2 percent. Unadjusted initial claims rose to 330,684 (a 10.7% weekly increase), continued weeks claimed across all programs for the week ending December 27 totaled 2,218,506 (up 313,297), and no state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program.
Latest fact check

The U.S. Department of Labor’s official Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims news release for January 15, 2026 states that for the week ending January 10, 2026, “the 4-week moving average was 205,000, a decrease of 6,500 from the previous week’s revised average,” and adds that this is “the lowest level for this average since January 20, 2024 when it was 203,250.” The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED database, which republishes the Employment and Training Administration’s data, shows the 4-week moving average of initial claims (series IC4WSA) at 205,000 for the observation date 2026‑01‑10. These official figures corroborate both the level of the 4‑week moving average and the “lowest since January 20, 2024” characterization. Therefore, the statement that the 4‑week moving average of initial claims was 205,000 for the week ending January 10, 2026, and that this was the lowest since January 20, 2024, is accurate according to primary government data. The verdict is True because both components of the claim match the figures and language in the official Department of Labor release and corresponding FRED series.

Timeline

  1. Update · Jan 16, 2026, 08:11 AMTrue
    The U.S. Department of Labor’s official Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims news release for January 15, 2026 states that for the week ending January 10, 2026, “the 4-week moving average was 205,000, a decrease of 6,500 from the previous week’s revised average,” and adds that this is “the lowest level for this average since January 20, 2024 when it was 203,250.” The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED database, which republishes the Employment and Training Administration’s data, shows the 4-week moving average of initial claims (series IC4WSA) at 205,000 for the observation date 2026‑01‑10. These official figures corroborate both the level of the 4‑week moving average and the “lowest since January 20, 2024” characterization. Therefore, the statement that the 4‑week moving average of initial claims was 205,000 for the week ending January 10, 2026, and that this was the lowest since January 20, 2024, is accurate according to primary government data. The verdict is True because both components of the claim match the figures and language in the official Department of Labor release and corresponding FRED series.
  2. Original article · Jan 15, 2026

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