WASHINGTON (MNI) - Initial claims for U.S. state unemployment benefits fell by 18,000 to a level of 259,000 in the June 18 week, data released by the Labor Department Thursday showed.
This marks the 68th consecutive week with adjusted claims below 300,000, the longest streak since 1973.
Expectations for this week's data were for an adjusted claims level of 270,000, which would have been down 7,000 from the previous week's level. That week's level was unrevised.
The Labor Department said there were no special factors in this week's claims data.
Seasonal adjustment factors had expected a decrease of 0.1%, or 277, in unadjusted claims for the current week. Actual unadjusted claims fell by 17,760 to 249,160 in the week, a 6.7% decrease. The current week's level was lower than the 263,199 level in the comparable week a year ago.
The seasonally adjusted four-week moving average decreased by 2,250 to 267,000 in the June 18 week, as the May 21 week's 268,000 level rolled out of the calculation.
The level of continuing claims fell by 20,000 to 2.142 million in the June 11 week. Before seasonal adjustment, continuing claims grew by 9,843 to 1.996 million. This is below the 2.103 million unadjusted level in the comparable week a year ago.
The seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was unchanged from the June 4 week at 1.6%. The rate was down from 1.7% in the comparable week a year earlier.
The unemployment rate among the insured labor force is well below that reported monthly by the Labor Department because claims are approved for the most part only for job losers, not the job leavers and labor force reentrants included in the monthly report.
