The numbers behind the time between jobs

US unemployment, tracked weekly.

Every week we follow the US jobless-claims data the moment the Department of Labor releases it — and translate it into plain English. As NextAct grows, we also track how many people are filing their unemployment claims with our help.

⚠︎ Showing placeholder data — live FRED figures populate on first data refresh.

Initial jobless claims

226K

week ending May 30

-4K wk/wk

Continued claims

1.94M

week ending May 23

insured unemployment

Unemployment rate

4.2%

May 26

+0.1 pt mo/mo

Filed via NextAct

0.0181%

41 claims, May 30

share of US initial claims

Data as of May 30, 2026 · Source: DOL/ETA & BLS via FRED

Initial jobless claims & NextAct's share

Weekly initial claims (ICSA). Brick line: share filed with NextAct's help — small today, the line tells the traction story as we grow.

Continued claims

People still drawing benefits (CCSA), one week lagged.

Unemployment rate

Headline rate (UNRATE), released on jobs-report Friday.

Nonfarm payrolls — monthly change

Jobs added/lost each month (PAYEMS).

Why we track this

NextAct helps people through the time between jobs.

Behind every data point is a person navigating a hard stretch. NextAct is being built to make that stretch shorter and less stressful — four things, one place:

File for unemployment

Figure out the right state forms so you can file with less guesswork.

Find your next job

Tools and guidance to get back to work faster.

Manage healthcare coverage

Keep coverage from lapsing while you're between jobs.

One home for your work life

All your employment data in a single, secure place.

See what we're building at NextAct.work →