According to the Labor Department, unemployment claims increased last week. They had previously reached their lowest levels since 1969.

Initiative filings for unemployment coverage for the week ending December 11 reached 206,000. This was above the estimate of 195,000 Dow Jones and an increase of 18,000 over the upwardly revised 188,000.

According to government data, although weekly claims rose, the four week moving average (which levels out volatility) reached 203.750. It is the lowest level since Nov. 15 1969.

These numbers reflect the environment before the pandemic and are not as extreme as the massive layoffs that exploded in the first days of the Covid-19 epidemic in March 2020. Weekly claims peaked in April 2020 at 6.15 millions and was maintained above 300,000. Then, in late October, it dropped below the same number.

The data on continuing claims is a week behind that of the headline numbers and fell 154,000 to 1.85 million. This was the lowest level since March 14, 2020.

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