In the week ending January 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 202,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 202,000 to 203,000. The 4-week moving average was 207,750, a decrease of 250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 207,750 to 208,000. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent for the week ending December 30, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the previous week's revised rate. The previous week's rate was ... (full story)

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits inched down to its lowest level in three months last week as the U.S. labor market continues to flex its muscle in spite of elevated interest rates. Jobless claim applications fell to 202,000 for the week ending Jan. 6, down by 1,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, ticked down by 250 to 207,750. Overall, 1.83 million Americans were collecting jobless benefits during the week that ended Dec. 30, a decline of 34,000 from the previous week. ... (full story)