The number of U.S. initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week ended May 1 fell by 7,000, or 1.6%, to 444,000 from the previous week's revised figure, the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.

Last week's number was revised up to 451,000 from 448,000.

The four-week moving average of claims for the week ended May 1 fell by 4,750, or 1.0%, to 458,500 from the previous week's revised average of 463,250.