The DOL reported:
In the week ending December 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 245,000, an increase of 20,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of 225,000. The 4-week moving average was 236,000, an increase of 1,250 from the previous week’s unrevised average of 234,750.
Claims taking procedures continue to be disrupted in the Virgin Islands. The claims taking process in Puerto Rico has still not returned to normal.
emphasis added
The previous week was unrevised.
The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since 1971.
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 increased to 236,000.
This was higher than the consensus forecast. The low level of claims suggest relatively few layoffs.