Initial jobless claims rose to 465,000 for the week ending Sept. 18, from a revised 453,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported today.
But continuing claims fell to 4.489 million from 4.537 million for the week ending Sept. 11.
Economists expected 450,000 initial claims and 4.450 million continuing claims, according to the median estimate from Thomson Reuters.
The 453,000 initial claims figure for the week ending Sept. 11 was upwardly revised from an originally-reported 450,000 figure originally reported last week. The previous week's 4.537 million in continuing claims was also upwardly revised from an originally reported 4.485 million.
For the week ending Sept. 18, the four-week average of initial claims, a less volatile figure, fell to 463,250 from 466,500 the previous week, the fourth straight week the average has declined following four consecutive weekly increases. The four-week average for continuing claims fell to 4.519 million.
