The DOL reported:
In the week ending January 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 233,000, an increase of 17,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised down by 4,000 from 220,000 to 216,000. The 4-week moving average was 240,000, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised down by 1,000 from 244,500 to 243,500.
The claims taking procedures in Puerto Rico and in the Virgin Islands have still not returned to normal
emphasis added
The previous week was revised down.
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 decreased to 240,000.
This was much lower than the consensus forecast. The low level of claims suggest relatively few layoffs.