In the week ending September 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 259,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 2,000 from 284,000 to 282,000. The 4-week moving average was 268,750, an increase of 6,000 from the previous week's revised average. This is the highest level for this average since June 4, 2016 when it was 269,500. The previous week's average was revised down by 500 from 263,250 to 262,750. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma impacted this week's claims. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was ... (full story)

Applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. unexpectedly declined last week as the Hurricane Harvey-related surge in Texas filings continued to reverse, Labor Department figures showed Thursday. • Jobless claims declined by 23k to 259k (est. 302k) • Continuing claims increased by 44k to 1.98m in week ended Sept. 9 (data reported with one-week lag) • Four-week average of initial claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, rose to 268,750 from 262,750 in prior week. Applications for unemployment insurance last week were estimated for South Carolina and the Virgin Islands. While Irma smashed into ... (full story)