First-time unemployment claims hold steady 208,000

May 2 (UPI) -- U.S. residents filing for first-time unemployment benefits held steady at a seasonally-adjusted 208,000 last week, equaling the revised total of the week before, the Labor Department announced on Thursday.

First-time unemployment filings, a snapshot into the stability of the country's workforce, were initially announced at 207,000 for the week ending April 20 but was revised up by 1,000 by researchers.

The 208,000 figure is the fewest number of initial claims for unemployment insurance since the week ending February 17, when 200,000 filed for first-time claims.

The four-week moving average for first-time unemployment insurance filings was 210,000, a decrease of 3,500 from the average of the previous week.

The Labor Department said the overall total of U.S. residents filing for unemployment benefits for the week ending April 20 was a seasonally-adjusted 1.774 million, unchanged from the previous week's total, which was revised down 7,000.

The four-week moving average for total unemployment claims fell 3,750 to 1,788,750, the department said.