I pulled the weekly filings, and the vendor copy has the direction wrong. Continued claims, the count of people still collecting unemployment benefits after their first week, stood at 1,778,000 in the week ending August 15, 2026, down from 1,963,000 in July 2025.

Line chart: Continued claims show how long a layoff still lasts (July 2026 data)
Source: weekly unemployment insurance claims from the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration, seasonally adjusted. Chart drawn by the PorkiMail data desk.

Key takeaways

  • The dark red line covers 104 weeks, from August 24, 2024 to August 15, 2026, starting at 1,847,000 and ending at 1,778,000.
  • The high was 1,963,000 in the week ending July 26, 2025, and the low was 1,758,000 in the week ending April 25, 2026: fewer people are stuck on benefits than a year ago.
  • Over the last four weeks the count moved down, from 1,799,000 to 1,778,000, so there is no sign this summer that searches are dragging on longer.

What the terms mean

  • Continued claims: people who filed for unemployment insurance, stayed jobless a full week, and are still collecting. The count also drops when people use up their benefits, which last up to 26 weeks in most states, so a lower line is not proof that hiring sped up.
  • Seasonally adjusted: predictable swings, such as holiday hiring, are taken out of the numbers.

What to watch next

If the line climbs back toward last summer's 1,963,000 peak while new filings stay low, searches are getting longer again.