The number of U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 17,000, or 3.2%, in the week ended Sept. 26 from the previous week's revised number of 534,000, the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.

The four-week moving average of claims fell by 6,250, or 1.1%, to 548,000 from the previous week's revised average of 554,250.