Initial Jobless Claims Remain at 384,000

Washington, DC, June 26, 2008--Initial jobless claims held steady last week but were still at a high level.

The Labor Department said new applications for unemployment insurance stayed at 384,000 for the week ending June 21, marking no change from the previous week. The figure was higher than the 375,000 claims level economists were forecasting.

The four-week moving average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week fluctuations, rose by 2,250 last week to 378,250.