US Jobless Claims Signal Cooling Labor Market
US jobless claims fell for the week ended Nov. 22, 2025; subdued layoffs but weak hiring keep continued claims and hiring rate in focus for investors.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Initial jobless claims fell to 216,000 for the week ended Nov. 22, 2025.
- Continuing claims rose to 1.96 million while the four-week average edged higher.
- BLS hiring rate at 3.5% underscores a low-hire, low-fire labor market that keeps policy on watch.
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US jobless claims fell in the week ended Nov. 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor said, highlighting subdued layoffs amid weak hiring and leaving the labor market in a low-hire, low-fire condition.
Weekly Claims Data and Labor Market Context
The Department of Labor released its Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report at 8:30 a.m. ET on Nov. 26. Initial jobless claims for the week ended Nov. 22 totaled 216,000, down 6,000 from the prior week's revised 222,000. The four-week moving average of initial claims declined by 1,000 to 223,750.
Continuing claims for the week ended Nov. 15 rose by 7,000 to 1.96 million, while the four-week moving average of continuing claims increased by 750 to 1,955,750.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed the hiring rate in August 2025 at 3.5%, a prepandemic low not seen since January 2011. The BLS Employment Situation report for August recorded an unemployment rate of 4.3% and about 1.9 million people classified as long-term unemployed.
Total job losses in 2025 reached roughly 1.1 million, concentrated in technology and manufacturing sectors. Combined with the weekly claims and BLS data, this indicates relatively few layoffs translating into limited hiring gains, maintaining a labor market characterized by low hiring and low layoffs amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
Policymakers have cut interest rates twice since September 2025 in response to labor-market softness. Market participants will watch continued claims, hiring rates, and four-week averages closely for signs of broader layoffs or increased reemployment.
