Initial unemployment claims -14k to 284k in.>

US DATA: Initial unemployment claims -14k to 284k in September 9 holiday 

week, vs 310k expected, but the level of claims filings remains high. 

Unadjusted initial claims in Texas -11,800 after +51,683 in the previous 

week, so the level remains elevated. The full impact of Hurricane Irma 

on Florida will not be seen until next week, though claims filings in 

Puerto Rico dipped as offices were closed. The 4-wk moving avg +13,000 

to 263,250, and is likely to rise as the headline number climbs in the 

coming weeks. Seasonal factors had expected a decrease of 26,224 in NSA 

claims in the holiday-shortened week. Instead, NSA claims -36,500 to 

214,121, still above the level a year earlier. There were state claims 

estimated this week by Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and the Virgin 

Islands, as Irma made it difficult, if not impossible, to report the 

data in some areas. Continuing claims -7k to 1.944m in the September 2 

week, but the data should start to show the impact of hurricane-related 

filings soon as displaced workers will continue to collect benefits for 

a number of weeks. See MNI main wire.