U.S. jobless claims rose more than expected last week, giving the Fed room to keep interest rates unchanged

Odaily Planet Daily News: The number of initial claims for unemployment benefits in the United States increased more than expected last week. The Labor Department said on Thursday that initial claims increased by 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 242,000 in the week ending February 22, higher than the market expectation of 221,000. A separate unemployment compensation for federal employees (UCFE) program shows that the large-scale layoffs of probationary federal government employees have not yet had any impact, most of whom were fired by Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) around February 14. At a time when policymakers are closely watching the impact of Trump's fiscal, trade and immigration policies on the economy, historically low layoffs are maintaining the momentum of economic expansion, giving the Federal Reserve room to keep interest rates unchanged. Economists believe that the Trump administration's policies will lead to inflation. (Jinshi)