WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 709,000, the fourth straight drop and a sign that the job market is slowly healing.
The figures coincide with a sharp resurgence in confirmed viral infections to an all-time high above 120,000 a day.
Cases are rising in 49 states, and deaths are increasing in 39. The nation has now recorded 240,000 virus-related deaths and 10.3 million confirmed infections.
On top of that, another 298,154 workers filed for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a program sanctioned under the CARES Act to provide benefits to those ineligible for regular state aid, such as the self-employed.
Together, first-time claims stood at 1 million last week, not adjusted for seasonal fluctuations. That was a new low for the total number.
Continued jobless claims, which count people who have filed for benefits for at least two weeks in a row, stood at 6.8 million — also slightly less than expected and down from the previous week.
Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims
Initial claims were 709,000 for the week ending 11/7 (-48,000).
Insured unemployment was 6,786,000 for the week ending 10/31 (-436,000).https://t.co/ys7Eg5LKAW
— U.S. Department of Labor (@USDOL) November 12, 2020
