Topline
Applications for unemployment benefits dropped last week to a three-year low, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department, as concerns about the labor market have persisted among Americans amid a surge in layoffs.
Another report found that layoffs eased in November, despite tallying the most this year so far since 2020.
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Key Facts
Unemployment benefits applications in the U.S. totaled 191,000 last week, the Labor Department reported, a decrease of 27,000 from the revised-down total of 218,000 for the previous week and below Wall Street’s estimates for claims to rise to 221,000, according to FactSet.
That’s the lowest number of applications since March 30, 2023, when 191,000 jobless claims were reported.
Continuing jobless claims, a measurement of people already receiving benefits, fell to 1.93 million, down 15,000 from the previous week.
Layoffs Eased In November—but Hit Highest Level Since The Pandemic
Planned job cuts totaled just over 71,000 in November, a steep decline from the roughly 153,000 job cuts in October, according to a report released Thursday by the career services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The 2025 total rose to 1.17 million, the highest level since 2020, when unemployment surged during the pandemic. The firm cited restructuring plans, closing and market or economic conditions as the most-cited reasons for layoffs, while tariffs were cited for more than 2,000 cuts in November, bringing the year-to-date total for tariff-related layoffs to 8,000.