U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Edge Down Slightly

(RTTNews) - First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly edged modestly lower in the week ended June 27th, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday.

The report said initial jobless claims slipped to 215,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level of 216,000.

Economists had expected jobless claims to rise to 220,000 from the 215,000 originally reported for the previous week.

The report said the less volatile four-week moving average also dipped to 222,000, a decrease of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average of 224,500.