Overview
- Initial claims fell by 6,000 to 216,000 for the week ended Nov. 22, coming in below the 225,000 forecast by economists polled by Reuters.
- Continuing claims, a gauge of hiring momentum, rose by 7,000 to 1.960 million for the week ended Nov. 15, indicating longer job searches.
- The Labor Department released the weekly claims report a day early because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
- Economists describe a “no hire, no fire” labor market linked to President Donald Trump’s trade and immigration policies, which they say discourages both layoffs and new hiring.
- Companies including Amazon have announced AI-related job cuts that economists expect could lift claims next year, though announced layoffs do not always translate into filings.