Initial claims for unemployment insurance in the U.S. fell to a seasonally adjusted 312,000 last week, 1,000 fewer than the revised figure of 313,000 for the week ending July 23, the U.S. Labor Department reported on Aug. 4.
The department's four-week moving average of initial claims, generally regarded as a better indication of underlying labor market conditions because it smooths out week-to-week fluctuations, also fell last week. The average was 316,750, some 2,250 fewer claims than the previous week's revised average of 319,000.
