Jobless Claims Rise to 200,000; Home Sales Slump

Initial unemployment claims climbed 9,000 last week while October sales of previously owned homes fell to their lowest level since 2010.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Economic Indicators

Jobless Claims Rise to 200,000; Home Sales Slump

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Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 200,000 for the week ending Saturday, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Separately, sales of previously owned homes fell 5.5% in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.75 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Why it matters

Weekly claims have stayed at or below 200,000 since mid-September, indicating that layoffs remain contained even as the labor market cools. The home sales decline, the weakest since August 2010, shows that higher-cost housing continues to weigh on buyers across the United States.

Initial jobless claims rose 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 200,000, close to the 189,000 mid-July level that was the lowest since 1969. Previously owned home sales fell 5.5% to a 3.75 million annual rate, the weakest since August 2010, and the cause of the rise in claims has not been identified.

The players

U.S. Department of Labor

The federal agency responsible for administering unemployment insurance and publishing weekly jobless claims data for the nation.

National Association of Realtors

The trade group representing real estate professionals that publishes monthly data on existing home sales across the United States.

The details

Claims have held at or below 200,000 since mid-September, and the Labor Department released the weekly figure on Thursday. The National Association of Realtors reported the October home sales figure separately, and the August 2010 comparison reflects a period when a homebuyers tax credit expired.

Mid-July 2026: Claims touched 189,000, the lowest since 1969.
Mid-September 2026: Claims began staying at or below 200,000.
October 2026: Previously owned home sales fell 5.5%.
Week ending Saturday, November 2026: Initial claims rose 9,000 to 200,000.

Macro View

October home sales hit their lowest level since August 2010, the month the federal homebuyers tax credit expired and sales fell sharply. The current figure places the housing market at a comparable low, while jobless claims near 200,000 remain well above the 189,000 mid-July floor that was the lowest since 1969.

Households watching grocery and rent costs should note that a softer housing market can ease buyer competition but may also slow home equity gains for owners. Workers should track whether weekly claims stay near 200,000, since a sustained rise would signal a shift in layoff conditions.

The takeaway

Watching both weekly jobless claims and monthly home sales together gives a clearer picture of whether the economy is cooling evenly or unevenly across labor and housing. Readers planning major purchases or job moves should follow these indicators over the coming months rather than relying on a single report.