The 542,000 initial benefits claims pushed the four-week rolling average to 506,500, a gain of 15,750 from the previous week's rolling average of 490,750.

The U.S. unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.5 percent.

The biggest increases in jobless benefits claims for the week ending Nov. 8 were reported by California with 15,532 additional claims, North Carolina, which added 6,453; and Tennessee, which added 5,067, the report said.

State-by-state statistics lag a week behind the national report.

The biggest decreases were reported by Kentucky with a decline of 1,562 claims; Puerto Rico, declining by 875; and Delaware with 751 fewer claims than during the week of Nov. 1.