In the week ended Nov. 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 317,000, a decrease of 13,000, or 0.04%, from the previous week's revised figure of 330,000. The four-week moving average was 329,750, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised average of 327,750.

In the most recent state numbers, for the week ended Oct. 27, Pennsylvania posted the largest increase in initial claims, up 3,525. The state cited layoffs in the mining, food, petroleum, and furniture industries. Michigan posted the largest decrease in initial unemployment claims, down 4,581.