Initial Unemployment Claims Down 23K, Lower Than Expected

Published on February 19, 2026

In the week ending February 14th, initial jobless claims were at a seasonally adjusted level of 206,000. This represents a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's figure and was lower than the forecast of 223,000.

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America Has a Terminal Case of Fiscal Paralysis

February 19, 2026
Last week’s release of the Congressional Budget Office’s long-term budget projections prompted the merest murmur of concern. That’s America’s fiscal problem in a nutshell: It greets detailed and impeccably nonpartisan projections of looming financial catastrophe with a shrug. Tell us something we didn’t know. We’re busy right now.

Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index: Activity Expanded in February

February 19, 2026
The latest Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index showed activity expanded in February, with the index rising 3.7 points to 16.3. The latest reading marked the highest reading for the index since last September and was better than the forecast of 7.5.