**MNI 5 THINGS: US Claims Above Expectations, 222k, Still Low>

--5 Things We Learned From the May 12 Claims Data

By Kevin Kastner and Holly Stokes

     WASHINGTON (MNI) - The following are the key points from the weekly 

US unemployment insurance claims data for the May 12 survey week 

released by the Labor Department Thursday: 

     - The initial claims data rose by 11,000 to 222,000 in the May 12 

employment survey week, above the 215,000 level expected by analysts in 

an MNI survey, but claims remain near the extremely low levels seen in 

recent weeks. 

     - The level of initial claims was down 11,000 from the 233,000 

level in the April 14 employment survey week, a positive reading for May 

payrolls when they are released in early-June.

     - The four-week moving average reinforces the message that the 

level of claims has been extremely low for several weeks. That measure 

fell this week by 2,750 to 213,250, hitting their lowest level since the 

December 13, 1969 week, when it was 210,750 and staying below the 

231,500 level in the April 14 survey week, another positive for May 

payrolls. The average could rise next week as that 209,000 level in the 

April 21 week rolls out of the equation, but would remain very low. 

     - Continuing claims fell by 87,000 to 1.707m in the May 5 week, the 

lowest level since the December 1, 1973 week, pulling the four-week 

average down by 39,750 to another 44-year low. The insured unemployment 

rate fell to 1.2% from 1.3% in the previous week and 1.4% in the same 

week a year ago. 

     - Claims data were estimated again in Colorado and Maine. Data 

collection has still not returned to normal in Puerto Rico and the 

Virgin Islands. 

     ** MNI Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 ** 

[TOPICS: MAUDS$,M$U$$$,MAUDR$]