US Initial Jobless Claims Fell Last Week, State Data Suggest (1)

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.

The Labor Department has not published its weekly report since Sept. 25 due to the government shutdown, but it did release downloadable data for most states. Bloomberg News adjusted the raw figures ...