This archive report was first published on 4 November 2021.
On November 4, 2021, the Labor Department reported a significant drop in jobless claims, marking the fifth consecutive week of decline. The number of new seasonally adjusted unemployment benefit claims filed in the week that ended October 30 was 269,000, the lowest weekly figure since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
As of the week ended October 16, nearly 2.7 million people were receiving benefits under all jobless aid programs, the latest data available. This decline in jobless claims is attributed to the reopening of businesses and the resumption of employment as vaccines became more widespread.
However, the Delta wave of Covid-19 had slowed the decline in recent weeks. The Labor Department will release the jobs report for October on Friday, which may show hiring rebounding after weak September payrolls data.
