US: Weekly initial claims was 236,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week

In the week ending May 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 236,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 238,000 said the US Department of Labor on Thursday.

Key highlights:

• The 4-week moving average was 243,500, an increase of 500 from the previous week's unrevised average of 243,000
• The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.4 percent for the week ending April 29, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 29 was 1,918,000, a decrease of 61,000 from the previous week's revised level
  • This is the lowest level for insured unemployment since November 5, 1988 when it was 1,898,000.