Labor MarketWeekly

SPY & Continued Jobless Claims

The number of individuals who have filed an initial claim and have experienced a week of unemployment and then filed a continued claim to receive benefits for that week.

SPY Price

$681.75

Continued Claims (Insured Unemployment)

Last Data: Jan 31, 2026
Last Release: Feb 12, 2026
Next Release: Feb 19, 2026
1.86M
4-wk MA: 1.85M

What It Measures

Continued claims (also called insured unemployment) measures the number of people who remain on unemployment benefits after their initial filing. While initial claims show new layoffs, continued claims reveal how long people stay unemployed. The data is reported with a one-week lag after initial claims, providing insight into whether laid-off workers are finding new jobs quickly or remaining unemployed.

Why It Matters

**Duration of Unemployment**: Rising continued claims suggest people are having difficulty finding new jobs, even if initial claims are stable. **Labor Market Slack**: High continued claims indicate significant available labor supply, which can suppress wage growth. **Recovery Signal**: During economic recoveries, continued claims typically fall faster than initial claims as hiring picks up. **Complements Initial Claims**: Together with initial claims, provides a complete picture of unemployment insurance utilization.

Key Levels

Below 1.5 million
Very tight labor market, rapid job finding
1.5-2.0 million
Healthy labor market
2.0-2.5 million
Elevated unemployment duration
2.5-3.0 million
Significant labor market weakness
Above 3.0 million
Severe unemployment, potential recession

Data Sources

SPY: S&P 500 ETF daily OHLCV data (1993-02-02 to 2026-02-13)

Continued Claims: CCSA - Continued Jobless Claims from U.S. Department of Labor

Units: Number, Seasonally Adjusted, Weekly