WASHINGTON — Initial claims U.S. state unemployment benefits rose by 12,000 to 272,000 in the September 23 week, above the 265,000 level expected, data released by the Labor Department Thursday showed.
Unadjusted filings in Texas fell by 8,218, but the level remained above a year ago. Filings rose by 8,160 in Florida, by 3,157 in Georgia, and more than doubled in the Virgin Islands, rising 128 to 210. Filings fell by 168 in Puerto Rico, but were still elevated at 2,248. Puerto Rico was the only state estimated, not surprising given the widespread devastation.
The four-week moving average for initial claims, a better measure of the underlying trend of the data, rose by 9,000 to 277,750 in the September 23 week, the highest level since the February 6, 2016 week. However, the four-week average could decline next week, as the recent 298,000 peak in the September 2 week will roll out of the calculation.
Seasonal adjustment factors had expected a decrease of 3.5%, or 7,541, in unadjusted claims. Instead, unadjusted claims rose by 2,062 to 215,024. The current week's level is ahead of the 198,455 level in the comparable week a year ago.
The level of continuing claims fell by 45,000 to 1.934 million in the September 16 employment survey week, down 20,000 from the 1.954 million level in the August 12 employment survey week despite the impact of the hurricanes.
The seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate held steady at 1.4% in the September 16 week for the 24th straight week. The current week's rate is down from 1.5% in the same week a year earlier.
The unemployment rate among the insured labor force is well below that reported monthly by the Labor Department because claims are approved for the most part only for job losers, not the job leavers and labor force reentrants included in the monthly report.
