The DOL reports:
In the week ending January 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 330,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week’s unrevised figure of 335,000. The 4-week moving average was 351,750, a decrease of 8,250 from the previous week’s revised average of 360,000.
The previous week was unrevised.
The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since January 2000.
Click on graph for larger image.
The dashed line on the graph is the current 4-week average. The four-week average of weekly unemployment claims decreased to 351,750.
This is the lowest level for the 4-week average since early 2008. Note: Data for January has large seasonal adjustments – and can be very volatile, but this is still good news.
Weekly claims were below the 360,000 consensus forecast.