--US new jobless claims -8,000 at 380,000 in latest week
--US new jobless claims 4-week average -2,250 at 401,250
--US jobless claiming benefits -26,000 to 2.682 million
--US jobless benefits 4-week average +45,500 to 2,680,500
--US jobless benefits 4-week average highest since November 1995

Washington, May 17 (BridgeNews) - New claims for U.S. state unemployment insurance benefits fell 8,000 to 380,000 during the week ended Saturday, the U.S. Labor Department said. That was below the 395,000 median estimate of analysts surveyed by BridgeNews. The 4-week moving average fell 2,250 to 401,250.
* * * Despite the decline in weekly new jobless claims, the level is significantly higher than the year ago level, when it was 283,000. New jobless claims peaked two weeks ago, when it hit a five-year high of 425,000.
The estimates of analysts surveyed by BridgeNews put initial jobless claims for the latest week in a range of 384,000 to 410,000.
For the week ended May 5, initial claims fell 37,000 to a seasonally adjusted 388,000, originally reported as 384,000, Labor said. For the same week, the 4-week moving average for new claims was 403,500, originally 402,500 per week.
In new data for the week ended May 5, 2.682 million people were reported claiming unemployment benefits under regular state programs, down 26,000 from the previous week's revised 2.708 million, Labor said. The 4-week moving average for the week for continuing claims rose 45,500 to 2,680,500, the highest level since the week ended Nov. 25, 1995.
The seasonally adjusted rate of insured unemployment during the week ended May 5 held steady at 2.1 from the previous week. The ratio represents people claiming benefits as a percentage of the workforce potentially eligible for these benefits.
Data on continuing claims and the insured unemployment rate are reported with a one-week delay.