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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The number of first-time filers for unemployment insurance fell for a second straight week last week, according to a weekly government report released Thursday.

There were 472,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended Aug. 28, down 6,000 from an upwardly revised 478,000 the previous week, according to the Labor Department's weekly report.

Economists surveyed by Briefing.com were expecting 475,000 new claims.

The government said 4.456 million people continued to file unemployment claims for their second week or more, during the week ended Aug. 21, the most recent data available. That's down 23,000 from an upwardly revised 4.479 million the week before.

Continuing claims reflect people who file each week after their initial claim until the end of their standard benefits, which usually last 26 weeks. The figures do not include those who have moved to state or federal extensions, or people who have exhausted their benefits but are still out of a job.

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