Initial Jobless Claims "Declined" Last Week, According To Goldman's Model

In the absence of the BLS payrolls data due to the government shutdown, traders are feeling around in the darkish void for data on the labor market. Recent regional Fed survey data (NY and Philly) has signaled stability in employment numbers, but of course, the highest frequency data - initial and continuing jobless claims - are also off the table due to the government shutdown.

So, Goldman Sachs economics research team took a stab at modeling what it would have been: