First-time applications for U.S. unemployment benefits declined slightly in the week ended September 19, coming in below economists’ expectations, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department.
Initial jobless claims fell by 1,000 to 197,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 198,000.
Economists had expected claims to rise to 204,000 from the 196,000 initially reported for the previous week.
The latest figures therefore showed fewer new claims than forecast, while the revision increased the previous week’s total by 2,000 from the original estimate.
Four-Week Average Declines to 202,250
The four-week moving average, which reduces some of the week-to-week volatility in initial claims, also moved lower.
The Labor Department said the average declined by 1,750 to 202,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 204,000.
Initial jobless claims measure the number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time and are among the indicators used to monitor changes in U.S. labour-market conditions.