For the week ending July 8, initial claims were at a seasonally adjusted figure of 237,000 versus estimate of 250K, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised level of 249,000.
The 4-week moving average for initial claims was 246,750, a decrease of 6,750 from the previous week's revised average of 253,500.
The seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate for the week ending July 1 was unchanged at 1.2 percent.
Continuing claims, or the number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 1, was 1,729,000 versus estimate of 1,723,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week's revised level of 1,718,000.
The 4-week moving average for continuing claims was 1,735,250, a decrease of 10,750 from the previous week's revised average of 1,746,000.