The U.S. four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance fell by 7,000 in the week ended Sept. 14 to a level of 314,750 from the previous week’s revised average of 321,750, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The four-week moving average decreases the volatility of the weekly numbers. Total initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week rose to 309,000, up 15,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 294,000.