The US four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance fell to 220,750 last week, down 1,000 from the previous week’s unrevised average, the US Department of Labor reported.

The four-week moving average smooths the volatility of the week-to-week numbers. Total initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ended Jan. 12 fell to 213,000, down 3,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level.

Claims have continued to recede after a spike in late November and early December that was largely tied to the holiday season, MarketWatch reported. The partial government shutdown, however, is putting more stress on federal workers. Some 10,454 government employees sought benefits through a separate unemployment program run by the US government in the week ended Jan 5, the latest period for which numbers are available.