U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ended May 29 fell by 10,000, or 2.2%, to 453,000 from the previous week's revised number, the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The Associated Press reported the decline nearly matches analysts' estimates.

The number of initial claims for employment insurance from the previous week was revised up to 463,000 from the previously reported number of 460,000.

The four-week moving average of claims for the week ended May 29 rose by 1,750, or 0.4%, to 459,000 from the previous week's revised average of 457,250.

Weekly initial unemployment claims had reached more than 650,000 in 2009.