WASHINGTON - Initial jobless claims edged higher by 2,000 to 439,000 for the week ending Nov. 13 as the number of workers seeking continuing unemployment benefits broke below 4.3 million for the first time in two years, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Continuing jobless claims fell for the fourth straight week dropping to 4.295 million, the lowest level since November 2008.
Economists expected 440,000 initial jobless claims and 4.3 million continuing jobless claims, according to the median estimate from Thomson Reuters.
Initial claims for the week ending Nov. 6 were revised higher to 437,000 from 435,000 reported last week. Continuing claims for the week ending Oct. 30 were revised to 4.343 million from 4.301 million.
The four-week moving average of initial claims, a less volatile figure, was 443,000 for the week, down from 447,000 last week. The four-week average for continuing claims fell to 4,353,250 from 4,398,750.
Alaska's initial claims data were estimated for the week, a Labor Department official said. Fifteen states reported an increase of more than 1,000 initial claims for the week ending Nov. 6 while two states reported a decline in claims of more than 1,000.
