Jobless claims dip as labor market stays resilient amid steady growth outlook

Initial unemployment claims fell to 205,000 for the week ending March 14 (lowest since mid‑January), while continuing claims rose to 1.86 million for the week ending March 7. Federal Reserve Chair Powell described the 4.4% unemployment rate as stable and said hiring and layoffs remain unusually low. Fed officials project unemployment around 4.4% this year, with GDP growth seen at about 2.4% in 2026 and 2.3% in 2027, and they expect at least one quarter-point rate cut later this year as the economy stays resilient despite layoffs at large firms.