The US four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose to 225,000 last week, up 1,000 from the previous week’s average, the US Department of Labor reported. The previous week's average was revised upward by 250.

The four-week moving average smooths the volatility of the week-to-week numbers. The four-week average bottomed out at a 49-year low of 206,000 last September, MarketWatch reported. It’s drifted upward over the past several months to as high as 236,000 in mid-February before settling back down.

Total initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ended March 16 fell to 221,000, down 9,000 from the previous week’s level, which was revised up by 1,000. Initial claims fell more than expected; economists polled by MarketWatch had forecast claims falling to 225,000.