The U.S. four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 750 in the week ended Aug. 24 to a level of 331,250 from the previous week’s unrevised average of 330,500, 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 fell to 331,000, down 6,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 337,000.