Initial jobless claims rose slightly last week to 282,000.
Expectations were for the report to show claims totaled 270,000 last week, down from the prior week's 274,000.
This marked the 12th straight week that initial claims were below 300,000.
The four-week moving average of claims rose by 5,000 last week to 271,500.
The prior week's number sent the four-week moving average of claims to its lowest level in 15 years.
In a note to clients after Thursday's report, Derek Lindsey at BNP Paribas said: "The trend in claims, below the pre-recession trough for weeks now, remains in line with our forecast for continued tightening in labor market slack ahead and with our expectation for another solid payrolls report next Friday."
