In the week ending November 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 211,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 218,000 to 219,000. The 4-week moving average was 215,250, an increase of 250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 214,750 to 215,000. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent for the week ending October 26, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured ... (full story)

The number of people who applied for unemployments benefits in early November fell to the lowest level in a month and clung near a half-century low, reflecting the remarkable resilience of the strongest labor market in decades. Initial jobless claims declined by 8,000 to 211,000 in the seven days ended Nov. 2, the government said Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast new claims to total a seasonally adjusted 215,000. Jobless claims are the best measure to track layoffs. They usually start to spike right before a recession and decline to low levels during economic expansions. (full story)