The Labor Department said initial jobless claims jumped 37,000 to 230,000 for the week ending April 20, more than the consensus forecast. The 4-week moving average rose 4,5000 to 206,000.
| Prior | Revised | Consensus | Range | Actual | |
| Initial Claims | 192K | 193K | 209K | 199K – 210K | 230K |
| 4-Week Average | 201.25K | 201.5K | – | – | 206K |
The jump comes after jobless claims fell to 50-year lows two weeks in a row.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was unchanged at a very low 1.2% for the week ending April 13.
No state was triggered “on” the Extended Benefits program during the week ending April 6.
The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending April 6 were in Alaska (2.6), New Jersey (2.2), California (2.0), Connecticut (2.0), Illinois (1.9), Rhode Island (1.9), Massachusetts (1.8), Montana (1.8), Pennsylvania (1.8), and Puerto Rico (1.8).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 13 were in California (+3,202), Connecticut (+1,125), Arizona (+819), Texas (+775), and Washington (+640), while the largest decreases were in Tennessee (-2,154), Illinois (-1,148), Michigan (-1,103), Arkansas (-799), and Ohio (-776).
