Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week as job cuts stay low

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits declined last week in a sign that overall layoffs remain low, even as several high-profile companies have announced job cuts.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits in the week ending Nov. 22 dropped 6,000 from the previous week to 216,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The figure is below the 230,000 forecast by economists, according to a survey by data provider FactSet.

Applications for unemployment aid are seen as a proxy for layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market. The job cuts announced recently by large companies such as UPS and Amazon typically take weeks or months to fully implement and may not yet be reflected in the claims data.

The four-week average of claims, which softens some of the week-to-week volatility, dropped 1,000 to 223,750.

For now, the U.S. job market appears stuck in a “low-hire, low-fire” state that has kept the unemployment rate historically low, but has left those out of work struggling to find a new job.

The total number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the week ending Nov. 15 rose 7,000 to 1.96 million, the government said. The increase is a sign that the unemployed are taking longer to find new work.

Last week, the government said that hiring picked up a bit in September, when employers added 119,000 new jobs. Yet the report also showed employers had shed jobs in August. And the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4%, its highest level in four years, as more Americans came off the sidelines to look for work but did not all immediately find jobs.

On Tuesday, the government reported that retail sales slowed in September after three months of healthy increases. Consumer confidence plunged to its second-lowest level in five years, while wholesale inflation eased a bit.

The data suggests that both the economy and inflation are slowing, which boosted financial markets' expectations that the Federal Reserve will reduce its key interest rate at its next meeting Dec. 9-10.

FILE - A portrait of President Donald Trump hangs on the Labor Department headquarters near the Capitol in Washington, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)

FILE - Applicants line up at a job fair at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City N.J., on April 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry, File)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau received medical attention for a possible allergic reaction while his teammates were flying to Indianapolis for the Final Four.

Detroit radio station WWJ 950 posted a video on X on Wednesday showing a covered individual being wheeled out of Michigan's player development center on a gurney and loaded into an ambulance.

Michigan later confirmed it was Cadeau, who complained of a possible allergic reaction.

“Elliot alerted the medical staff that he may have had an allergic reaction to something that he ate," the team said in a statement. “The doctors evaluated Elliot and he is fine. Out of an abundance of caution, he is receiving medical supervision and will be traveling to Indianapolis later today.”

The school said Cadeau will meet the team in Indianapolis, where Michigan is set to take on Arizona on Saturday night in a Final Four clash between No. 1 seeds.

The Wolverines are chasing their first national title since 1989 and second in program history.

Michigan’s backcourt took a hit late in the regular season when key reserve LJ Cason had a knee injury, forcing coach Dusty May to lean on Roddy Gayle and Trey McKenney to play more.

Cadeau averages 10.2 points, a team-high 5.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 27 minutes a game. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention while helping the Wolverines win the conference championship.

Directing a high-scoring offense, Cadeau has at least seven assists in each of Michigan’s four games in the NCAA Tournament. He had 17 points and 10 assists in the win over Tennessee that lifted the team to the Final Four.

The 6-foot-5 Cadeau, who is from New Jersey, is in his first season with the Wolverines after transferring from North Carolina. He started in 68 games over the previous two years for the Tar Heels. He has not missed a game in three seasons, playing in 112 straight games.

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Michigan's Elliot Cadeau celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Alabama, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)