The US four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 2,750 last week to a total of 274,750 from the previous week’s upwardly revised average, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the US Department of Labor.

The four-week moving average decreases the volatility of the weekly numbers. Total initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ended May 30 fell by 8,000 to a total of 276,000 from the previous week’s upwardly revised level.

No special factors affected this week’s initial claims.

MarketWatch reports the number of people seeking unemployment benefits at the end of May remained near a 15-year low, reflecting steady improvement in the labor market amid a flood of hiring over the past one-and-a-half years.

Bloomberg reports in the short run, a hit to Americans’ wallets is trumping the benefits of an improving job market as consumer confidence in the US slipped last week to a six-month low.