The U.S. four-week moving average of initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 4,500 in the week ended May 3 to 24,750 from the previous week’s revised figure of 320,250, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The four-week moving average decreases the volatility of the weekly numbers. Total initial claims for unemployment insurance for the week fell by 26,000 to a total of 319,000 from the previous week’s upwardly revised figure of 345,000.

MarketWatch reports the decline likely stemmed from seasonal quirks instead of any major change in hiring trends or layoffs.