Initial jobless claims up 15,000

The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits rose last week by 15,000 to a larger-than-forecast 478,000, the Labor Department said.

The four-week moving average of initial claims, a less volatile measure, fell to 480,250 from 484,750. So far this year, weekly claims have averaged 388,000, compared with an average 321,000 for all of 2007.