--US new jobless claims +9,000 at 421,000 in latest week
--Labor says US initial claims highest since March 1996
--US new jobless claims 4-week average +9,250 at 404,500
--Labor says US claims 4-week average highest since October 1992
--US jobless claiming benefits +38,000 at 2.682 million
--US jobless benefits 4-week average +47,000 to 2,595,000

Washington, May 3 (BridgeNews) - New claims for U.S. state unemployment insurance benefits rose 9,000 to 421,000 during the week ended Saturday--the highest level in more than five years--the U.S. Labor Department announced.
That was above the 395,000 median estimate of analysts surveyed by BridgeNews.
The four-week moving average rose 47,000 to 404,500, the highest level since October 1992.
* * * The estimates of analysts surveyed by BridgeNews put initial jobless claims for the latest week in a range of 382,000 to 400,000. New claims have not been this high since the week ended March 23, 1996. For the week ended April 21, initial claims rose 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 412,000, revised upward from the originally reported 408,000, Labor said. For the same week, the four-week moving average for new claims was 395,250, originally 394,500.
In new data for the week ended April 21, 2.682 million people were reported claiming unemployment benefits under regular state programs, up 38,000 from the previous week's revised 2.644 million, Labor said. The four-week moving average for the week for continuing claims rose 47,000 to 2,595,000.
The seasonally adjusted rate of insured unemployment during the week ended April 21 held steady at 2.1%. 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.