U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to 189,000, Lowest Since Midsummer

The Labor Department said Thursday that seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance fell to 189,000 in the week ending Oct. 31, down 6,000 from the prior week’s revised level of 195,000.

The figure is the lowest weekly reading since claims touched near multi-decade lows in midsummer. A year earlier, initial claims totaled 228,000 for the comparable week. The four-week moving average dropped 2,250 to 194,750.

Continuing claims and insured rate

The advance number of people receiving unemployment benefits after an initial week of aid — seasonally adjusted insured unemployment — rose 23,000 to 1,718,000 in the week ending Oct. 24. The prior week’s level was revised down by 6,000 to 1,695,000. The four-week moving average of continuing claims edged up 1,000 to 1,709,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate held at 1.1% for the week ending Oct. 24. Unadjusted, the insured rate was 1.0%, also unchanged.

Unadjusted filings

Unadjusted initial claims under state programs totaled 176,698 in the week ending Oct. 31, down 2,951, or 1.6%, from the previous week. Seasonal factors had expected a 1.4% increase. In the comparable week of 2025, unadjusted claims were 216,026.

Initial claims by former federal civilian employees rose to 552 in the week ending Oct. 24, up 110 from the prior week. Newly discharged veterans filed 347 initial claims, down 40.

Developing: Figures are advance estimates subject to revision in later Labor Department releases.

Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims)