Jan. 8 (UPI) — The Department of Labor added 8,000 to its seasonally adjusted unemployment claims report for the week ending Jan. 3 for a total of 208,000, which is the lowest since April 2024.
The adjusted number is less than the four-week average of 211,750, which is 7,250 fewer than that four-week average from a week earlier, the department announced Thursday.
The Labor Department said the seasonally adjusted average is the lowest four-week average since April 27, 2024, when the average was 210,250.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the week ending on Dec. 27 was revised up by 250 claims to 219,000.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment number takes into account predictable and recurring employment seasonal changes involving weather and consumer demand for goods and services.
Unadjusted data shows 300,860 unemployment filings for the week ending Jan. 3, which is 29,677 and 10.9% higher than the prior week.
No states qualified for extended unemployment benefits based on their respective economic factors.
The states with the five highest unemployment rates for the week ending Dec. 20 were Washington, 2.5%; New Jersey, 2.4%; Massachusetts, 2.3%; and Minnesota and Rhode Island at 2.2%, each.
The states with the five highest reported increases in claims for the week ending Dec. 27 were New Jersey with an increase of 6,871, Pennsylvania, 5,406; Michigan, 4,794; Connecticut, 3,366; and Missouri, 2,532.
The states with the largest respective decreases for the week ending Dec. 27 were Texas, down 7,951; California, 6,514; Florida, 1,981; North Carolina, 1,454; and Colorado, 1,226.