The US four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance fell to 234,750 last week, down 6,750 from the previous week’s unrevised average, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the US Department of Labor.

The four-week moving average decreases the volatility of the weekly numbers. Total initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ended Dec. 9 fell to 225,000, down 11,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level.

The department reported claims-taking procedures continue to be disrupted in the Virgin Islands. The claims-taking process in Puerto Rico has still not returned to normal.

MarketWatch reported the latest drop in claims puts them back near the lowest level since the early 1970s. The biggest declines took place in New York, Texas and California, the nation’s three largest states.