Washington D.C., Initial Claims For Unemployment Insurance

A Component of the Washington Area Leading Index

Initial claims for unemployment insurance is a component of the Leading Index. Claims represent the number of workers filing for unemployment benefits following the loss of a job.

Claims are sensitive to changing economic conditions and are a good predictor of turning points. In the initial stages of economic recovery, layoffs are slow and hiring accelerates with the result that claims drop. In the later stages of an expansion, as the economy begins to decelerate and the labor market softens, layoff occur at the margins of the work force, hiring slows, and initial claims increase.

Initial claims are adjusted for seasonal variation.

Source: Government of the District of Columbia, Dept. of Employment Services, Office of Unemployment Compensation
 

Other Components of the Washington Area Leading Index

Most Recent Six Months

Percent Change From Same Month Of Previous Year

Historical Series