First-Time Unemployment Claims Tick Down to 751,000, Slightly Ahead of Expectations

WASHINGTON, D.C. — First-time claims for unemployment insurance totaled 751,000 for the week ending Oct. 31, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week. This is the third straight week the number of jobless claims was below 800,000. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones anticipated the number of workers filing for benefits to total 741,000 for the latest week. The four-week moving average decreased by 4,000 to 787,000. Continuing claims, for which data is a week behind, fell by 538,000 to approximately 7.3 million for the week ending Oct. 24.