Private industry employer compensation costs averaged $32.29 per hour worked in June 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wages and salaries costs were $22.52 and total benefit costs were $9.77. Retirement costs were $1.27, accounting for 3.9% of total compensation costs.

In the week ending September 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance was 259,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of 263,000, the Labor Department reported. The four-week moving average was 261,250, a decrease of 1,750 from the previous week’s unrevised average of 263,000.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 3.44%, down from 3.46% one week ago, according to Freddie Mac. The average interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is 2.76%, down from 2.77%.

Thursday, the Dow lost 46.23 points (0.25%) to finish at 18,479.91, the NASDAQ closed 24.44 points (0.46%) lower at 5,259.48, and the S&P 500 decreased 4.86 points (0.22%) to 2,181.30. The Russell 2000 was down 2.65 points (0.21%) at 1,258.35, and the Wilshire 5000 fell 106.73 points (0.47%) to 22,671.52.

On the NYSE, 3.1 billion shares changed hands, and on the NASDAQ, 2.9 billion shares traded, with a slight lead for declining issues on both exchanges.

ON THIS DATE: In 1776, the second Continental Congress officially made the term “United States,” replacing the previous term “United Colonies.” In 1850, California became the 31st state to join the union. In 1926, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was created by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). In 1948, North Korea became the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea. In 1957, the first civil rights bill to pass Congress since Reconstruction was signed into law by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower. In 1979, Tracy Austin, at 16, became the youngest player to win the U.S. Open women’s tennis title. In 1994, the space shuttle Discovery blasted off on an 11-day mission.

In Westerly, Rhode Island, a man has been arrested for shooting his neighbor’s house—with corncobs. According to the Westerly Sun, police say the man answered his door shirtless and had corn kernels stuck to his chest. He used a potato gun to shoot corncobs at his neighbor’s house, which is up for sale. Police say the man and his neighbor have long-running disputes.

In Kansas City, Kansas, a man gave a note to a bank teller demanding cash and warning he had a gun. He then sat in the bank lobby and told the guard he was the guy the guard was looking for. According to the Associated Press, the man had earlier been arguing with his wife. He told investigators he wrote the note in front of his wife, telling her he would “rather be in jail than at home.”

In Georgia, the Board of Bar Examiners determined that errors in the scoring of the July 2015 and February 2016 Bar examinations resulted in 90 applicants being mistakenly notified that they had failed the examination when, in fact, they had passed. One man lost his job because of it. The Board has made apologies and is reimbursing people for the cost of the exam.