US: Initial weekly jobless claims decreased by 23,000 to 216,000

"In the week ending February 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 216,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 239,000,"  the U.S. Department of Labor announced on Thursday.

Key takeaways from the press release

• The 4-week moving average was 235,750, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 231,750.
• The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent for the week ending February 9, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate.
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending February 9 was 1,725,000, a decrease of 55,000 from the previous week's revised level.