New jobles claims fell by 8K to 220,000 and the 4-week moving average was 224,250 for the week of Nov. 15, a decline of 3,000 from the previous week.

The adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.3 percent for the week ending Nov. 8, unchanged from the previous week. Seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ended Nov. 8 was 1,974,000, up 28,000 from the previous week. This is the highest for insured unemployment since Nov. 6, 2021 when it was 2,041,000. The 4-week moving average was 1,960,250, up 6,750 from the previous week, the highest since Nov. 20, 2021 when it was 2,004,250.

The Department of Labor said it will not issue jobless claims reports that would have been published from Oct. 2, 2025, through Nov. 13, 2025 due to the shutdown. Claims data for this period appears at https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp

New unemployment claims are compiled weekly to show the number of individuals who filed for unemployment insurance for the first time. An increasing (decreasing) trend suggests a deteriorating (improving) labor market. The four-week moving average of new claims smooths out weekly volatility.

Jobless claims are an easy way to gauge the strength of the job market. The fewer people filing for unemployment benefits, the more have jobs, and that tells investors a great deal about the economy. Nearly every job comes with an income that gives a household spending power. Spending greases the wheels of the economy and keeps it growing, so a stronger job market generates a healthier economy.

There's a downside to it, though. Unemployment claims, and therefore the number of job seekers, can fall to such a low level that businesses have a tough time finding new workers. They might have to pay overtime wages to current staff, use higher wages to lure people from other jobs, and in general spend more on labor costs because of a shortage of workers. This leads to wage inflation, which is bad news for the stock and bond markets. Federal Reserve officials are always on the look-out for inflationary pressures.

By tracking the number of jobless claims, investors can gain a sense of how tight, or how loose, the job market is. If wage inflation looks threatening, it's a good bet that interest rates will rise, bond and stock prices will fall, and the only investors in a good mood will be the ones who tracked jobless claims and adjusted their portfolios to anticipate these events.

Just remember, the lower the number of unemployment claims, the stronger the job market, and vice versa.