US: Initial claims was 218,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week

"In the week ending July 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 218,000, an increase of 1000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 217,000," the U.S. Department of Labor announced on Thursday.

Key takeaways from the official publication

• The 4-week moving average was 214,500, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 218,000. 
• The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent for the week ending July 21, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate. 
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 21 was 1,724,000, a decrease of 23,000 from the previous week's revised level.