The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending February 14 were in Iowa (+377), Michigan (+105), Florida
(+84), and Nevada (+1).

The largest decreases were in New York (-7,615), Pennsylvania (-5,201), New Jersey
(-2,845), California (-2,386), and Texas (-2,368).

The “No Hire. No Fire” remains in play, but the data is good news for the economy. Steady.

The Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report, released every Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, tracks the number of individuals filing for unemployment insurance benefits for the first time during the previous week. As the timeliest indicator of labor market conditions, initial jobless claims provide an early snapshot of layoff activity and emerging unemployment trends. The report includes both seasonally adjusted and unadjusted figures, along with continuing claims reflecting the number of people already receiving unemployment benefits. The four-week moving average is often used to smooth out weekly volatility and provide a clearer picture of underlying trends. Data is collected from state unemployment insurance programs across all fifty states and reported with a one-week lag.

The US will auction 7 year notes at 1 PM today after average 2 and 5 year auctions on Tuesday and Wednesday. Yields are marginally lower

• 2-year yield 3.466% -0.4 basis points
• 5 year yield 3.606%, -0.9 basis points
• 10 year yield 4.040%, -0.8 basis points
• 30 year yield 4.604%, -0.8 basis points

US stocks are higher in premarket trading

• Dow industrial average up 129 points
• S&P index up 8.87 points
• NASDAQ index up 17.72