Jobless Claims Rise to 200,000 Ahead of Friday's October PPI Report
Initial jobless claims rose 9,000 to 200,000 in the week ending Nov. 7, the Labor Department said. October producer prices are due Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Why it matters
- Seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims rose 9,000 to 200,000 in the week ending Nov. 7, the Labor Department said Thursday, Nov. 12. The prior week was revised up to 191,000, and the four-week average was unchanged at 195,250.
- Continuing claims fell 20,000 to 1.697 million in the week ending Oct. 31, and the insured unemployment rate held at 1.1%.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases October producer prices at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 13. In September, the PPI for final demand jumped 1.3% and the core measure rose 0.5%.
Data Brief: a summary of published data, with our notes on what it shows.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 200,000 in the week ending Nov. 7, the Labor Department said Thursday, Nov. 12. The four-week moving average, which smooths weekly swings, was unchanged at 195,250.
The previous week was revised up 2,000 to 191,000. Before seasonal adjustment, claims rose 28,870 to 206,982, more than the 19,663 increase seasonal factors had expected. A year earlier, unadjusted claims were 238,729.
What did the weekly jobless claims report show?
| Weekly claims (seasonally adjusted) | Latest | Prior week | Year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial claims (week ending Nov. 7) | 200,000 | 191,000 | 228,000 |
| Four-week average | 195,250 | 195,250 | 227,000 |
| Continuing claims (week ending Oct. 31) | 1,697,000 | 1,717,000 | 1,946,000 |
| Insured unemployment rate | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims, Nov. 12.
Continuing claims, which count people still receiving benefits after their first week, fell 20,000. Claims remain below year-earlier levels on every measure in the table. Our productivity and jobless claims brief covered the prior week's 189,000 first estimate, since revised to 191,000. In the October jobs report, payrolls rose 165,000 and the unemployment rate was 4.1%; see our October jobs report brief.
When is the October PPI released?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the October Producer Price Index at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 13, according to its September release. It follows Tuesday's October CPI, which rose 0.4% with core up 0.3%; BLS did not publish 12-month CPI changes because it did not collect October 2025 data during a lapse in appropriations. See our October CPI report.
What did September PPI show?
| PPI, final demand (seasonally adjusted) | September change |
|---|---|
| Final demand | +1.3% |
| Goods | +2.6% |
| Energy | +10.8% |
| Foods | +1.2% |
| Goods less foods and energy | +0.3% |
| Services | +0.8% |
| Less foods, energy and trade services | +0.5% |
Source: BLS Producer Price Index, September 2026, released Oct. 15.
Over the 12 months to September, final demand prices rose 6.3% before seasonal adjustment, and the core measure excluding foods, energy and trade services rose 5.0%, BLS said. Our September PPI report has more detail.
Why do claims and PPI matter for the Fed?
The Fed held its target range at 3.75% to 4% on Oct. 28 and said "inflation remains elevated." Its last 2026 meeting is Dec. 8–9; see the FOMC meeting schedule for 2026 and 2027. Treasury also sells $25 billion of new 30-year bonds at 1 p.m. ET Thursday; see our 30-year auction preview.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims (Nov. 12, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Producer Price Index – September 2026 (Oct. 15, 2026; accessed Nov. 12, 2026), including the Nov. 13 release date
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index – October 2026 (Nov. 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation – October 2026 (Nov. 6, 2026)
- Federal Reserve, FOMC statement, Oct. 28, 2026 and FOMC meeting calendars
- TreasuryDirect, upcoming auctions data (accessed Nov. 12, 2026)
