US: Weekly initial claims was 233,000, a decrease of 15,000 from the previous week

"In the week ending July 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 233,000, a decrease of 15,000 from the previous week's revised level," announced the US Department of Labor on Thursday.

Key highlghts:

• The 4-week moving average was 243,750, a decrease of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average.
• The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 245,750 to 246,000. 
• The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.4 percent for the week ending July 8, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate.
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 8 was 1,977,000, an increase of 28,000 from the previous week's revised level.
• The 4-week moving average was 1,959,000, an increase of 8,750 from the previous week's revised average.