Group 1 - Applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. dropped to 191,000 last week, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised total of 218,000, and below Wall Street's estimate of 221,000 [1][2] - This marks the lowest number of applications since March 30, 2023, when 191,000 jobless claims were reported [2] - Continuing jobless claims fell to 1.93 million, down 15,000 from the previous week [2] Group 2 - Planned job cuts in November totaled just over 71,000, a significant decline from approximately 153,000 job cuts in October [3] - The total number of job cuts for 2023 rose to 1.17 million, the highest level since 2020 [3] - Restructuring plans, closures, and market or economic conditions were cited as the main reasons for layoffs, with tariffs accounting for over 2,000 cuts in November [3]