Jobless Claims Rise 26,000 To 436,000 in Nov. 27 Week

WASHINGTON — Initial jobless claims increased more than economists estimated the week ending Nov. 27 as they jumped by 26,000 new filings to 436,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

“New jobless claims have broken to the downside in the last several weeks, suggesting that labor markets may actually be improving,” Steven Wood, an economist at Insight Economics, said in a research note.

Continuing claims increased by 53,000 to 4.270 million for the week ending Nov. 20 to post their first gain in six weeks. Economists expected 428,000 claims and 4.230 million continuing claims. Continuing claims are trending down despite this rise, Wood said.

“This decline is due mostly to people exhausting their regular unemployment benefits, but also to some people finding new jobs,” he said.

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