US initial jobless claims fell by 6,000 last week to a total of 222,000, the US Department of Labor reported today.
The previous week’s level was also revised downward by 4,000.
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits in the week ending Sept. 3 fell to a three-month low, underscoring the robustness of the labor market even as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, Reuters reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 240,000 applications for the latest week.
Meanwhile, the four-week moving average of claims fell by 7,500 last week to 233,000; the previous week’s average was revised down by 1,000.