In the week ended Jan. 5, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 322,000, a decrease of 15,000, or 4.5%, from the previous week's revised figure of 337,000. The four-week moving average was 341,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised average of 344,000.

In the most recent state numbers, for the week ending Dec. 29, Michigan posted the biggest increase in initial unemployment claims, up 18,482. The state cited layoffs in the automobile industry. California registered the largest decrease in claims, down 14,453. The state cited fewer layoffs in the service industry.