US initial jobless claims fell to 189,000, below forecasts
US initial jobless claims fell to 189,000 in the week to October 31, below the 196,000 forecast, Reuters reports, citing the Labor Department.
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what happened
The US Labor Department reported that initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped to 189,000 in the week ended October 31, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Reuters, which published the data, noted the figure came in below the 196,000 that economists in its survey had expected. The four-week average stood at 194,750, while the prior week was revised to 195,000 from 194,000.
Continued claims for the week ended October 24 were 1,718,000, and the insured unemployment rate held at 1.1 percent. Continued claims for the week ended October 31 were not yet available.
why it matters
Claims near 190,000 point to limited layoffs and a labor market that is still steady. Investors track this weekly series for signs of cooling employment ahead of Federal Reserve decisions, so a softer reading typically supports the dollar and weighs on bets on rate cuts.
market impact
Dollar: a firmer labor market supports the currency and can lift Treasury yields
- US dollar pressure up — low claims signal a steady labor market and limit expectations of Fed easing
tags
instruments
on polymarket
sources
- US jobless claims data — Reuters, 5 November 2026 at 13:32 UTC
- TABLE - US Labor Dept. jobless claims data — Reuters, 5 November 2026 at 13:42 UTC
prepared by the newsmetry newsroom with ai assistance from the sources listed below. not investment advice.
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