The Labor Department reported Thursday that initial claims for unemployment insurance rose last week but remained at levels that were consistent with the job market before the Covid-19 outbreak.
The 222,000 first-time filings for the week were less than the 240,000 Wall Street expected. That was higher than the 194,000 from the previous week, but that total was revised even lower from the initial 199,000 reported.
The unadjusted number was lower than the totals because of heavy seasonal adjustments.
The report comes amid signs of an increasingly tight labor market, with workers leaving their positions for new jobs at the highest level on record.
Continuing claims fell by another 107,000 and are now below 2 million for the first time since the beginning of the Pandemic. The last time continuing claims were lower than the current number was March 14, 2020.
More than 15,000 fewer claims were filed in Virginia and Texas for the week.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the nonfarm payrolls count on Friday.
The tally is expected to show a gain of 573,000 jobs in November, following a gain of 531,000 in October. The unemployment rate is expected to go down.
