# DOL Reports Weekly Unemployment Claims

The U.S. Department of Labor reported that seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims rose by 9,000 to 200,000 for the week ending November 7, 2026, while insured unemployment fell by 20,000 to 1.697 million for the week ending October 31. The release announces no acquisition, funding, solicitation, or contracting action; its relevance to procurement professionals is limited to general labor-market context that may inform workforce planning.

- Contractors may use the claims figures as one broad input to workforce planning, but the release does not identify a specific labor shortage, procurement requirement, or contract opportunity.
- Procurement teams should not treat this release as a solicitation or as evidence of a change in government buying activity.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Published:** November 12, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
- Employment and Training Administration (ETA)

### Sources
- [News Release](https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20261112) - DOL