First time US jobless claims drift lower, second-time claims rise

(Sharecast News) - The number of people filing for jobless in the US was little changed during the previous week. According to the US Department of Labor, in seasonally adjusted terms initial unemployment claims drifted lower by 2,000 over the week ending on 17 May to settle at 227,000.

That compared to a consensus forecast for an increase from the prior week's pace to 230,000.

The four-week moving average of claims meanwhile rose by 1,000 to 231,500.

Secondary claims, which are those not being filed for the first time and referencing the week that ended on 10 May, grew by 36,000 to 1.903m.

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