US jobless claims rise to 200,000 as four-week average holds steady

New applications for US unemployment benefits increased last week, but the broader weekly trend remained steady, according to Labor Department figures released Thursday. Seasonally adjusted initial claims reached 200,000 for the week ending November 7, up 9,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 191,000.

The four-week average, which smooths out short-term swings, was unchanged at 195,250. Continuing claims moved in the opposite direction: the number receiving benefits after an initial week fell by 20,000 to 1.697 million in the week ending October 31. That measure is reported a week behind initial applications. The insured unemployment rate remained at 1.1 percent, according to the Labor Department’s November 12 release.

The figures offer a more restrained picture than the increase in the headline number alone might suggest. The Associated Press described claims as historically low and reported that employers have added an average of 86,000 jobs a month this year, including 165,000 in October. Those monthly hiring figures provide a different view of the labour market from the weekly count of people seeking unemployment assistance.

Reading the weekly figures

Seasonal adjustment matters when comparing weekly claims. The Bureau of Labor Statistics explains that recurring events, including holidays and seasonal changes in employment, can affect the raw figures. Adjustments are intended to separate those regular patterns from other changes in the data. An increase in unadjusted applications should not be treated as interchangeable with the seasonally adjusted headline.

Thursday’s release also revised the preceding week’s initial claims upward by 2,000. It is an advance estimate, rather than a final count. Taken together, the new figures show a rise in first-time applications alongside a stable four-week average and fewer continuing claims.

File photograph: The US Department of Labor’s Frances Perkins Building in Washington, May 1, 2026. Credit: Ajay Suresh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. No editorial alterations.