US: Weekly initial claims was 272,000, an increase of 12,000 from previous week

"In the week ending September 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 272,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 259,000 to 260,000," the US Department of Labor said on Thursday.

Key highlights:

• The 4-week moving average was 277,750, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 268,750. This is the highest level for this average since February 6, 2016, when it was 277,750. 
• Hurricanes Harvey and Irma impacted this week's claims.
• The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.4 percent for the week ending September 16, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate. 
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 16 was 1,934,000, a decrease of 45,000 from the previous week's revised level.