Initial Jobless Claims Rise by 11,000

While week-over-week jobless claims were higher than expected for the week ending Jan. 9, the four-week moving average of initial claims fell to 440,750, the lowest level since August 2008.

The latest unemployment figures were released by the Department of Labor Thursday. The 444,000 initial claims filed this past week was an increase of 11,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 433,000. The four-week moving average, which is considered a more reliable indicator of jobs trends, has decreased each of the past 19 weeks.

The overall number of Americans receiving unemployment insurance dropped to the lowest level since Jan. 10 2009 and those receiving extended benefits also decreased.