Initial Jobless Claims rose by 10,000 in the latest week, with 210,000 people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time. Despite this weekly increase, the number of first-time filers remains near the lowest levels seen this year. The real story is Continuing Claims, which increased 63,000, showing that 1.79 million people are still receiving benefits after filing their initial claim.

What’s the bottom line? The low number of Initial Jobless Claims show that employers are trying to hold on to workers. Yet, Continuing Claims have now risen for six straight weeks. This suggests that it’s becoming harder for people to find employment once they are let go, indicating that hiring may be slowing down.