Weekly jobless claims up 2,000 to 439,000

Initial jobless claims edged up slightly last week to 439,000, coming in below most analysts’ estimates. And the four-week moving average is now at the lowest level since September 2008. The Labor Department said the seasonally adjusted figure of actual initial claims for the week ended Nov. 13 increased by 2,000 from the previous week’s figure of 437,000, which was revised upward a few thousand. Analysts surveyed by Econoday expected claims to rise to 445,000 with a range of estimates from 430,000 to 457,000. A Briefing.com survey put the number of jobless claims at 440,000, and economists polled by MarketWatch expected 445,000. The four-week moving average declined by 4,000 to 443,000 claims from a revised average of 447,000, according to the Labor Department data. The seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.4%, down slightly from a revised 3.5%. The number of continuing claims filed during the week of Nov. 6 fell 48,000 to 4.3 million, which is the lowest since November 2008. More than 8.8 million were receiving some sort of benefits at Oct. 30, according to the Labor Department. Write to Jason Philyaw.