US: Weekly initial claims was 247,000, a decrease of 3,000 from previous week

"In the week ending July 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 247,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised level," said the US Department of Labor on Thursday. 

Key highlights:

• The 4-week moving average was 245,750, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average
• The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.4 percent for the week ending July 1, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending July 1 was 1,945,000, a decrease of 20,000 from the previous week's revised level
• The 4-week moving average was 1,949,250, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average.