The four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance increased by 2,000 to a level of 377,750 in the week ended Sept. 15 from the previous week’s revised average of 375,750, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The four-week average decreases the volatility of the weekly numbers. Total initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week fell by 3,000 to 382,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 385,000.