In the week ending May 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 248,000, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's revised level, said the US Department of Labor on Thursday.

Key highlights:

• The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 234,000 to 235,000.
• The 4-week moving average was 238,000, an increase of 2,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 235,250 to 235,500. 
• The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.4 percent for the week ending May 20, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate
• The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending May 20 was 1,915,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised level.