In the week ending October 7, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 243,000, a decrease of 15,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 2,000 from 260,000 to 258,000. The 4-week moving average was 257,500, a decrease of 9,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 1,250 from 268,250 to 267,000. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria impacted this week's claims. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.3 percent for the week ending September 30, a decrease of 0.1 percentage ... (full story)

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell to more than a one-month low last week as claims in Texas and Florida continued to decline after being boosted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits decreased 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 243,000 for the week ended Oct. 7, the lowest level since late August, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Data for the prior week was revised to show 2,000 fewer applications received than previously reported. A Labor Department official said Harvey and Irma along with Hurricane Maria affected claims for Texas, Florida, South ... (full story)