States reported that 230,000 workers filed for new unemployment benefits during the week ending Dec. 3, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level. The number of workers continuing to claim unemployment benefits—1.67 million— has been steadily rising through the year but is still below the pre-pandemic average of 1.7 million. Recurring applications for unemployment benefits is at its highest level since February, suggesting that laid-off workers are having more trouble finding a new job in a cooling labor market. Read more.