The Labor Department reported the figure on Thursday, which fell well short of the consensus forecast of 212,000. Following the release, spot gold prices retreated further, trading at $4,071.59 per ounce—a daily decline of 1.41%. The previous week’s data was also slightly adjusted upward to 209,000 claims.

Broader labor market indicators mirrored this surprising strength. The four-week moving average, which smooths out weekly volatility, dropped to 207,500, beating the expected 213,000. Additionally, continuing jobless claims for the week ending July 11 reached 1.796 million, coming in below the projected 1.809 million. These figures suggest that domestic employment remains tighter than investors previously priced in, placing immediate downward pressure on gold valuations.