Claims have now been below 300,000 for 125 straight weeks, the longest such stretch since 1970.
The 4-week moving average was 244,000, unchanged from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 243,750 to 244,000.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.4 percent for the week ending July 15, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate.
The continuing claimsdrawn by workers for more than a week (the advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment) during the week ending July 15 was 1,964,000, a decrease of 13,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 1,977,000. The 4-week moving average was 1,963,750, an increase of 4,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 1,959,000.