U.S. Jobless Claims Fall 6,000 to 206,000 as 4-Week Average Rises to 204,000
Updated
Updated · Quartz · Aug 20
U.S. Jobless Claims Fall 6,000 to 206,000 as 4-Week Average Rises to 204,000
3 articles · Updated · Quartz · Aug 20
Summary
206,000 Americans filed initial jobless claims in the week ended Aug. 15, down 6,000 from a revised 212,000 and below the prior week's originally reported level.
204,000 was the new four-week average, up 4,250, showing the broader trend ticked higher even as weekly filings fell.
1.799 million continuing claims for the week ended Aug. 8 rose 18,000, while the insured unemployment rate held at 1.2%.
Michigan, New York, Texas and South Carolina posted the biggest unadjusted increases in new claims; New York cited layoffs in professional services, construction, health care and social assistance.
The figures still point to a labor market with relatively few layoffs, though rising moving averages and continuing claims suggest some softening beneath the weekly headline drop.