The number of continuing jobless claims in the US, which serves as a crucial measure of individuals receiving unemployment benefits, increased to 1.957 million for the week ending October 18, 2025. This figure marks the highest level since early August and represents a slight rise from 1.947 million the previous week. This information originates from the Department of Labor's online database as of November 18th. Notably, the Department has not published its routine weekly jobless claims report due to the federal government shutdown.