In the week ending November 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 313,000 from the previous week's upwardly revised level of 292,000, the highest level since early September. The four-week moving average, a less volatile gauge of underlying labor market conditions, rose to 294,000 from the previous week's unrevised level. Though this was the highest level for the average since late September, it was the 11th straight week the average remained below 300,000—a sign of a strengthening labor market.
