WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The number of people filing for state unemployment benefits for the first time fell by 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 570,000 last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of seasonally adjusted new claims rose 4,000 to 571,250, the highest in eight weeks. Meanwhile, the number of people collecting regular state benefits rose by 92,000 in the week ending Aug. 22 to a seasonally adjusted 6.23 million. The insured unemployment rate rose to 4.7% from 4.6%. The four-week average of continuing claims fell 27,250 to 6.22 million, the lowest since April. The number of people collecting benefits of any kind was 9.65 million, not seasonally adjusted.
