Weekly Jobless Claims Dip to 197,000 in Late September
Initial unemployment claims fell slightly for the week ending Sept. 26, with the 4-week average also declining to 200,000.
New applications for unemployment benefits edged down to 197,000 for the week ending September 26, a decrease of 1,000 from the prior week's revised level, the Department of Labor reported. The figure signals continued resilience in the U.S. labor market, with layoffs remaining historically low.
The previous week's initial claims count was revised upward by 1,000, from 197,000 to 198,000, a minor adjustment that slightly tempered the week-over-week improvement. Such revisions are routine and reflect updated state-level data incorporated into federal tallies.
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The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure that smooths out weekly swings, fell to 200,000 — a drop of 2,500 from the prior week's revised average of 202,500. That average had itself been revised up by 250 from the initially reported 202,250, underscoring the incremental nature of the data adjustments. A reading at or below 200,000 on the four-week average is generally considered an indicator of a tight labor market with limited involuntary job separations.
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