In the week ended Dec. 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 338,000, a decrease of 15,000, or 4.2%, from the previous week's revised figure of 353,000. The four-week moving average was 340,250, an increase of 4,750 from the previous week's revised average of 335,500.

In the most recent state numbers, for the week ended Nov. 24, Wisconsin registered the largest increase in initial unemployment claims, up 14,126. The state cited layoffs in the construction, service, transportation, warehousing, and manufacturing industries. California posted the largest decrease in claims, down 10,435. It reported fewer layoffs in the construction and service industries.