US Initial Jobless Claims Fell Last Week, State Data Suggest

Applications for US unemployment benefits fell last week, according to analyses of unadjusted state-level filings released during the federal government shutdown.

Initial claims decreased to about 215,000 in the week ended Oct. 11 from an estimated 234,000 in the prior week, according to a Bloomberg News analysis of the figures. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economists also saw a decline, estimating initial jobless claims totaled about 217,000 last week.