Employment Numbers on the Upswing

Washington, DC, May 19, 2011--For the week ending May 14, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims fell to 409,000, a decrease of 29,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 438,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The four-week moving average was 439,000 claims, an increase of 1,250 from the previous week's revised average of 437,750.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3% for the week ending May 7, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate of 3% percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 7 was 3,711,000, a decrease of 81,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,792,000.

The four-week moving average was 3,728,250, an increase of 750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,727,500.