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Initial jobless claims fell by 12,000 last week, while the number of people receiving continuing claims reached a new record high, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Claims for the week ended Saturday fell to 631,000, from a revised 643,000 the previous week.

The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, fell to 628,500 from 632,000 a week earlier.

The number of Americans collecting jobless benefits rose the 16th straight weekly record high, to 6.66 million for the previous week ended May 9, Labor said.