U.S. jobless claims fall to 189,000 before the jobs report
New applications decline, while continuing claims rise in a separate reporting week.
New U.S. unemployment-benefit applications fell to a seasonally adjusted 189,000 in the week ended October 31, down 6,000 from the previous week's revised level.
The prior figure was revised up from 194,000 to 195,000. The four-week moving average, which smooths weekly swings, fell 2,250 to 194,750.
Continuing claims moved the other way. The number receiving benefits rose 23,000 to 1.718 million in the week ended October 24. That is an earlier reporting week than the initial-claims figure, so the two changes should not be treated as a matched count of the same group.
The release points to relatively few new benefit applications, but it does not measure all unemployment or hiring. It also arrives a day before the October employment report, scheduled for Friday at 8:30 AM ET.
Thursday's pre-open setup put the labor releases in focus. These weekly claims numbers add evidence on layoffs and benefit use; Friday's report will provide the separate monthly reading on payrolls and unemployment.
