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Jobless claims down
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May 11, 2000: 8:52 a.m. ET
Initial unemployment benefit claims dip below critical 300,000 mark
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell to 297,000 for the week ended May 6 from a revised 304,000 the prior week, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
The four-week moving average of claims, which generally provides a more accurate picture of jobless trends, was reported at 285,250 for the week, down from a revised 277,500 the prior week.
 Continued claims rose to 2,011,000 for the April 29 week, the latest data available, from the revised 1,995,000 reported the previous week.
Four states -- New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Tennessee -- and Puerto Rico reported an increase in claims of more than 1,000 in the week ended April 29, the latest period for which the data are available.
New York blamed layoffs in the service industry, while neighbor New Jersey saw layoffs in the transportation industry. North Carolina experienced a drop in employment in the construction and textile industries. Tennessee reported layoffs in the state's apparel industry. Puerto Rico did not comment. 
-- Compiled by Tatiana D. Helenius
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