States reported that 222,000 workers filed for new unemployment benefits during the week ending Nov. 27, rising for the first time in two months after last week's one-off, holiday-related seasonal adjustment led to a decades-low drop in claims. This is the level initial claims were generally at before the pandemic-related spike in 2020.
The total number of workers continuing to claim unemployment benefits fell to 1.9 million, far below the 20 million reported at this time last year when federally enhanced unemployment benefits were still in place. By comparison, continuing claims had averaged 1.6 million throughout 2019.
Hiring demand remains strong, with employers adding 534,000 private-sector jobs in November, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will be released tomorrow.