by Calculated Risk on 11/18/2010 08:39:00 AM

The DOL reports on weekly unemployment insurance claims:

In the week ending Nov. 13, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 439,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 437,000. The 4-week moving average was 443,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised average of 447,000.

Click on graph for larger image in new window.

This graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since January 2000.

The dashed line on the graph is the current 4-week average. The four-week average of weekly unemployment claims decreased this week by 4,000 to 443,000.

This is the lowest level for the 4-week moving average since September 2008 - a clear improvement over recent months, but still elevated - and still a sign of weakness in the job market.