The number of seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims in the United States declined by 11,000 to 239,000 in the week ending August 12, the Department of Labor shared in its report on Thursday. The 4-week moving average rose by 2,750 from the previous week's revised average to stand at 234,250.
Meanwhile, the insured unemployment rate ran at 1.2% in the week ending August 5, rising 0.1 percentage points in comparison to the previous week, as the insured unemployment number amounted to 1,716,000, up 32,000 from the previous week's unrevised figures. The 4-week moving average was 1,692,750, tumbling by 8,250 compared to the week prior.