Initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by more than 1,000 in New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Kentucky last week as manufacturers laid off workers. However, these increases were more than offset by fewer claims from workers elsewhere.
As a result first-time claims fell during the week ending August 12 to 212,000, some 10,000 fewer than the 322,000 claims recorded in the previous week, the U.S. Labor Department reported on August 17.
Last week's decline slowed the growth in the department's four-week moving average, but was not able to reverse it. For the week ending August 12, the moving average edged up 1,750 claims to 311,250.
