Initial jobless claims fell by 39,000 in the week ended April 17 to a total of 547,000, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the US Department of Labor. It was the lowest level for claims since March 14, 2020, when there were 256,000 claims.
The Labor Department noted its estimate of jobless claims for the previous week had been revised upward by 10,000.
Its four-week moving average of jobless claims fell by 27,750 to a total of 651,000. This was also the lowest level for the average since the week ended March 14, 2020, when the level was 225,500.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims, which are not seasonally adjusted, rose by 1,598 to a total of 133,319. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program claims include self-employed workers, among others.