Weekly jobless claims jumped in the latest report, even as fewer people drew ongoing unemployment checks. The Labor Department release for the week ending Dec. 6 showed a sharp short-term shift in the flow of unemployment insurance claims.
Seasonally adjusted initial claims rose to 236,000 from a revised 192,000 a week earlier, an increase of 44,000. The four-week moving average edged up to 216,750 from 214,750, still below peaks reached earlier in the year.
At the same time, the seasonally adjusted insured unemployment level fell. For the week ending Nov. 29, continuing claims declined to 1,838,000, down 99,000 from 1,937,000 the previous week. The insured unemployment rate slipped to 1.2 percent from 1.3 percent. [ Department of Labor PDF ]
On an unadjusted basis, actual initial claims under state programs climbed to 313,140, up 114,967 from the prior week, a 58 percent jump. Seasonal factors anticipated an increase of only 56,785, or 28.7 percent, highlighting year-end volatility around holidays and temporary layoffs. This was a marked change from 12 months ago.
States with the highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Nov. 22 included New Jersey and Washington at 2.2 percent. Massachusetts followed at 1.9 percent, with Alaska, Connecticut, Nevada, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, California and Oregon all near the top of the list.
The total number of continued weeks claimed across all programs stood at 1,731,322 for the week ending Nov. 22. That total dropped by 92,675 from the previous week and stood slightly above the 1,688,243 claims in the comparable week of 2024.
No state triggered on to Extended Benefits, so claimants relied on regular state programs, federal civilian benefits, veterans’ benefits, additional state programs and work-sharing arrangements. Former federal employees filed 643 initial claims in the week ending Nov. 29, while newly discharged veterans filed 223.
Weekly Jobless Claims Indicator
The Labor Department describes weekly claims as a leading indicator of labour market conditions, but also notes that weekly data show significant seasonal swings. That context explains why weekly jobless claims can spike even when the insured unemployment rate points to a broadly steady job market.
Weekly jobless claims will remain under close watch in coming weeks as policymakers, employers and workers look for early signs of any broader cooling in the labour market.
