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8:30 AM ET, May 31, 2007 - 24 minutes ago
U.S. 4-week avg. continuing jobless claims fall to 2.50 mln
U.S. 4-week avg. initial jobless claims up 1,000 to 304,500
U.S. continuing jobless claims fall 52,000 to 2.47 mln
U.S. initial jobless claims fall 4,000 to 310,000

ECONOMIC REPORT: Jobless claims fall back slightly in latest week
By Robert Schroeder, MarketWatch Last Update: 8:40 AM ET May 31, 2007

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- First-time applications for state unemployment benefits stayed elevated above 300,000 in the latest week, but fell back a bit from last week's levels, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Initial claims fell by 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 310,000 in the week ending May 26, the government reported. Last week, claims rose for the first time in six weeks, to a revised 314,000.
The four-week average of initial claims, considered a better gauge of underlying labor market strength because it smoothes out often-volatile data, rose by 1,000 to 304,500, the highest since May 12.
The report comes a day ahead of the unemployment report for May. Economists generally expect a better unemployment report compared with the 88,000 jobs created in April.
On Wednesday, the ADP employment report suggested nonfarm payrolls rose by about 123,000 in May after adding in government jobs. That's less than the 150,000 estimated by economists surveyed by MarketWatch. U.S. private-sector jobs grew by 97,000 in May, according to the ADP employment report.
Meanwhile, the number of people collecting unemployment checks fell by 52,000 to a seasonally adjusted 2.47 million in the week ending May 19. The four-week average of continuing claims fell by 4,500 to 2.50 million. It's the lowest since Feb. 3.
The insured unemployment rate -- the percentage of those covered by unemployment insurance who are collecting benefits -- remained at 1.9%.
Initial claims represent job destruction, while the level of continuing claims indicates how hard or easy it is for displaced workers to find new jobs.
Compared with the same time last year, initial claims are down about 5% while continuing claims are up about 2%.
There were no special factors, such as severe weather events, holidays or strikes, that impacted the claims numbers, a Labor Department spokesman said.


U.S. 1Q capital spending up 2% vs. 1.9% previously
U.S. 1Q consumer spending up 4.4% vs. 3.8% previously
U.S. 1Q final sales unrevised at 1.6%
U.S. 1Q before-tax corporate profits up 6.3% year on year
U.S. 1Q core inflation unrevised at 2.2% year on year
GDP revisions reflect weaker inventories, trade
U.S. first-quarter growth weakest since late 2002
U.S. 1Q GDP revised down to 0.6% annualized from 1.3%

U.S. GDP revised lower to 0.6% in first quarter
By Rex Nutting Last Update: 8:30 AM ET May 31, 2007

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The U.S. economy slowed to a crawl in the first quarter, held back by falling investments in homes, shrinking inventories and a larger trade gap, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. The economy grew at a 0.6% annualized pace in the quarter, revised down from the initial estimate of 1.3%, the government said in its second estimate of quarterly gross domestic product. It was the slowest growth since late 2002. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch were expecting GDP to be revised to 0.7%. Consumers continued to lead the way with strong gains in spending and income. The business sector, however, invested little and saw year-over-year profit growth fall to the lowest level of the five-year-old expansion. Economy-wide inflation surged at the fastest pace in 16 years, and core consumer inflation accelerated a bit above the Federal Reserve's comfort zone.