U.S. jobless claims rise slightly to 213,000 in mid-September amid GM auto strike

The numbers: The number of people who applied for jobless benefits in mid-September rose slightly — largely reflecting a General Motors worker strike in Michigan — but the level of new “claims” nationwide remains near a 50-year low.

Initial jobless claims, a rough way to measure layoffs, increased by 3,000 to 213,000 in the seven days ended Sept. 21, the government said Thursday.

Economists polled by MarketWatch estimated new claims would total a seasonally adjusted 211,000.

What happened: Raw or actual claims — before seasonal adjustments — surged in Michigan after GM auto workers went on strike. Applications for benefits more than doubled to 7,724 from the prior week.

Claims fell in New York, Georgia and Florida.

The more stable monthly average of new claims slipped by 750 to 212,000 nationwide. The four-week average usually gives a more accurate read into labor-market conditions than the more volatile weekly number.

The number of people already collecting unemployment benefits, known as continuing claims, declined by 15,000 to 1.65 million.

Big picture: Job losses are still extremely low even though there’s scattered signs that some companies are cutting jobs. Layoffs have stuck near a 50-year bottom, suggesting a strong U.S. labor market remains the bedrock of the U.S. economy.

Economists are watching jobless claims closely, however, to see if they begin to increase soon. A survey of service-oriented companies earlier this month found that employment declined for the first time in almost 10 years. CEOs of the countries largest companies also say they plan to scale back hiring amid the ongoing trade war with China.