The number of people filing initial applications for unemployment benefits in New York state fell nearly 4 percent to 18,296 in the week ending Nov. 1, from 19,042 the week before.
That’s according to a U.S. Department of Labor news release issued Thursday.
The drop in initial jobless claims comes just a week after the Empire State’s unemployment claims jumped 16 percent. These statistics can be volatile from week to week.
The number of people continuing to receive unemployment-insurance benefits in New York edged up slightly to 158,973 from 158,704 in the prior week, according to the Labor Department data. It’s the third straight week in which continuing claims have increased in the state.
The state data is not seasonally adjusted.
Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com