US jobless claims rise to 200,000 as the prior week is revised higher
Initial claims increased by 9,000 from a revised 191,000. The four-week average was unchanged at 195,250.
New US applications for unemployment benefits rose to 200,000 in the week ended November 7, up 9,000 from the previous week's revised level. The Labor Department revised that earlier reading to 191,000 from the initially reported 189,000.
The four-week moving average, which smooths weekly swings, was unchanged at 195,250 after the prior average was also revised higher. The headline increase therefore should be compared with the revised 191,000 figure, not the original estimate.
Initial claims measure new applications for unemployment insurance. They are not the monthly payroll count or the unemployment rate, and one weekly increase does not by itself establish a broader hiring or layoff trend.
