WASHINGTON -- Seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims climbed to 383,000 for the week ending May 26, while continuing claims fell to 3.242 million for the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
The 383,000 of initial claims were up 10,000 from the previous week's revised level of 373,000, originally reported as 370,000.
The 3.242 million of continuing claims for the week ending May 19 was the lowest since July 19, 2008, when there were 3.224 million claims. The 3.242 million level slid 36,000 from the previous week's revised 3.278 million, originally reported as 3.260 million.
The 383,000 of initial claims were higher than the median estimate of 370,000 projected by economists polled by Thomson Reuters, and the 3.242 million of continuing claims came in below the economists' median estimate of 3.250 million.
The four-week moving average for initial claims was 374,500, up 3,750 from the previous week's revised average of 370,750. It was originally reported as 370,000.
The four-week moving average for continuing claims was 3.264 million. That figure, the lowest since it was 3.231 million on Aug. 2, 2008, was 12,000 lower than the preceding week's revised average of 3.276 million. It was originally reported as 3.272 million.
The Department of Labor said the week's claims data included estimates from Hawaii, Oregon, California, Virginia and Wyoming.
