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The
Labor Department reported Thursday that 189,000 people sought
jobless aid last week, the fewest since mid-July and down from
195,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which
smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, dipped to 194,750.
Applications for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and
economists watch them closely because they can provide signs of
where the job market is headed.
Claims have remained at historically low levels in the year to
date, never topping 230,000 in a single week. They’ve come in at
or below 200,000 for eight straight weeks.
So far this year, employers — companies, government agencies and
nonprofits — have been adding an average of 68,000 jobs a month,
including a disappointing 29,000 last month. That is modest by
historic standards but an improvement on a lackluster 2025 when
monthly job creation averaged 9,700 as high interest rates and
President Donald Trump’s unpredictable trade policies
discouraged hiring.
Consumer spending has remained resilient and a surge in
investment in artificial intelligence has lifted economic
growth.
The Labor Department will release hiring numbers for October on
Friday. They are expected to show that the economy added 65,000
jobs this month, according to a survey of forecasters by the
data firm FactSet. Unemployment is expected to remain at a low
4.2%.
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