US: Weekly initial claims was 284,000, a decrease of 14,000 from previous week

"In the week ending September 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 284,000, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 298,000," the US Department of Labor said on Thursday.

Key highlights:

• The 4-week moving average was 263,250, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 250,250.
• This is the highest level for this average since August 13, 2016, when it was 263,250.
• The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.4 percent for the week ending September 2.
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 2 was 1,944,000, a decrease of 7,000 from the previous week's revised level.
• The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent during the week ending September 2, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week.