US Initial Jobless Claims See Minor Decline

The United States witnessed a slight decrease in seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims, dropping by 1,000 to 224,000 for the week ending March 22. This figure, reported by the Department of Labor on Thursday, slightly surpassed expectations.

Moving Averages and Unemployment Rates

Over the same period, the 4-week moving average saw a decline of 4,750, settling at 224,000. Meanwhile, the advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate held steady at 1.2% for the week ending March 15.

The number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment decreased by 25,000, reaching 1,856,000. However, the 4-week moving average experienced a slight increase of 2,250, totaling 1,870,000.