Initial Claims for Unemployment Benefits Rose Slightly as New Restrictions Emerged

Initial claims for regular state unemployment benefits totaled 742,000 for the week ending November 14, up 31,000 from the previous week’s revised tally of 711,000, and the first weekly increase since October 10. Despite the increase, claims have posted a fifth consecutive week below 800,000 but the level is still high by historical comparison (see first chart).

The four-week average was 742,000, down 13,750 from the prior average. The latest week is the 35th week of historically massive claims. Prior to the lockdowns, initial claims averaged 211,900 for the first ten weeks of 2020. Persistent initial claims at such a historically high level remain a troubling sign for the labor market recovery and the economy. The recent trend towards renewed government restrictions as the number of new confirmed Covid-19 cases surges is likely to weigh on economic growth.

The number of ongoing claims for state unemployment programs totaled 6.455 million for the week ending October 31, down 383,282 from the prior week. For the same week in 2019, ongoing claims were 1.447 million. Continuing claims from state programs have trended lower since the peak in early March.

Over the same period, continuing claims in all federal programs trended higher through early September but appear to be leveling off over the last few weeks. The number of recipients in all Federal programs totaled 14.3 million for the week ending October 31.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all unemployment programs including all emergency programs was 20.320 million for the week ended October 31, down 841,245 from the prior week. While there has been improvement from the catastrophic results in March and April, the current levels of weekly initial claims and continuing claims in all programs are still very high.