In the week ending May 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 264,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 265,000. The 4-week moving average was 271,750, a decrease of 7,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 279,500. This is the lowest level for this average since April 22, 2000 when it was 266,750. There were no special factors impacting this week's initial claims. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.7 percent for the week ending May 2, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally ... (full story)