The 448,000 initial benefits claims during the week was an increase of 44,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 404,000 initial claims, the department reported.

The four-week average gained 11,000 to 382,000, the report said.

The U.S. unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.5 percent.

The biggest increases in claims for the week ending July 19 were reported by Florida with 4,178 additional claims, Wisconsin, which added 2,982 and Louisiana, which added 1,212, the report said.

State-by-state statistics lag a week behind the national report.

On the week ending July 19, the biggest decreases were reported by New York with a decline of 20,450 claims, Michigan, declining by 6,598, and Missouri with 5,065 fewer claims than the week of July 12.