In the week ending April 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 230,000, an increase of 37,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 192,000 to 193,000. The 4-week moving average was 206,000, an increase of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 201,250 to 201,500. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent for the week ending April 13, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured ... (full story)

The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits increased by the most in 19 months last week, but the underlying trend continued to point to labor market strength. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits jumped 37,000 to a seasonally adjusted 230,000 for the week ended April 20, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The increase was the largest since early September 2017. Claims dropped to 193,000 in the week prior, which was the lowest level since September 1969. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims rising to only 200,000 in the latest week. The Labor Department said no ... (full story)