In the week ended Jan. 19, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 301,000, a decrease of 1,000, or 0.3%, from the previous week's revised figure of 302,000. The four-week moving average was 314,750, a decrease of 14,000 from the previous week's revised average of 328,750.

In the most recent state numbers, for the week ended Jan. 12, California registered the largest increase in initial unemployment claims, up 27,194. The state cited layoffs in the construction and service industries. New York posted the largest decrease, down 25,349. It reported fewer layoffs in the construction, service, and transportation industries.