# U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to 57-Year Low

Initial unemployment claims dropped to 189,000 for the week ended October 31, while continuing claims rose to 1.718 million.

By Will Langan | 24X7 News
Published: 2026-11-05T14:04:25.347Z
Updated: 2026-11-05T14:04:25.347Z
Section: Money
Format: News
Canonical: https://24x7news.us/articles/us-jobless-claims-189000-november-5-2026

New applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell to a seasonally adjusted 189,000 in the week ended October 31, extending a run of unusually low layoff readings, according to reports published Thursday.

The total was down 6,000 from the previous week’s upwardly revised 195,000 and below the 196,000 median forecast in a Reuters poll. The 189,000 reading matched the mid-July low and was the smallest since 1969.

The four-week moving average, which smooths weekly volatility, declined to 194,750. Initial claims have remained at or below 200,000 for eight consecutive weeks, according to the Associated Press.

The claims data continue to show employers are holding on to workers even as hiring has remained cautious. Applications for benefits are closely watched as a near-term measure of layoffs, but they do not capture every form of joblessness.

Continuing claims moved in the opposite direction. The number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid rose by 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 1.718 million in the week ended October 24. That measure is reported with a one-week lag and can indicate how quickly unemployed workers are finding new jobs.

Thursday’s report arrives one day before the government’s October employment report. The weekly claims period does not overlap with the payroll survey period for that report, Reuters noted.

The latest figures are a new weekly development, distinct from the Labor Department’s October 29 release covering the week ended October 24, when initial claims were reported at 194,000.

Sources:
Reuters — U.S. weekly jobless claims at 57-year lows amid low layoffs: https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/us-weekly-jobless-claims-57-year-lows-amid-low-layoffs-2026-11-05/
Associated Press — Unemployment claims drop to 189,000, the fewest since mid-July: https://apnews.com/article/layoffs-unemployment-economy-039c8e6b655b7bc3dd5e2836bbb2ecc9

## Sources
- Reuters — U.S. weekly jobless claims at 57-year lows amid low layoffs: https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/us-weekly-jobless-claims-57-year-lows-amid-low-layoffs-2026-11-05/
- Associated Press — Unemployment claims drop to 189,000, the fewest since mid-July: https://apnews.com/article/layoffs-unemployment-economy-039c8e6b655b7bc3dd5e2836bbb2ecc9