Initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits dropped to a seasonally adjusted 445,000 during the week ended Sept. 6 from a revised 451,000 in the prior week. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast 440,000 claims last week.
The four-week moving average for claims, considered a more reliable barometer since it irons out weekly fluctuations, rose slightly by 250 to 440,000 in the week ended Sept. 6.
