US: Initial weekly jobless claims decreased by 19,000 to 234,000

"In the week ending February 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 234,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 253,000," the U.S. Department of Labor announced on Thursday.

Key takeaways from the press release

• The 4-week moving average was 224,750, an increase of 4,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 220,250. 
• The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent for the week ending January 26, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate.
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending January 26 was 1,736,000, a decrease of 42,000 from the previous week's revised level.