US: Weekly initial claims was 260,000, a decrease of 12,000 from previous week

"In the week ending September 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 260,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 272,000," the US Department of Labor said on Thursday.

Key highlights:

• The 4-week moving average was 268,250, a decrease of 9,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 277,750. 
• Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria impacted this week's claims. 
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 23 was 1,938,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised level. 
• The 4-week moving average was 1,947,000, a decrease of 3,250 from the previous week's revised average.