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US jobless claims hit lowest level in more than 43 years
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dropped last week to the lowest level in more than 43 years, another sign that most American workers enjoy job security. The Labor Department said Thursday that 234,000 Americans sought jobless aid, a drop of 15,000 from the previous week and the lowest since November 1973. […]
Jobless aid applications rise
More people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, although jobless claims continue to be close to pre-recession levels.
Jobless claims fall to 5-year low of 324K
The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell last week to seasonally adjusted 324,000, the lowest since January 2008. The drop points to fewer layoffs and possibly more hiring. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications fell 18,000, the second straight sharp drop. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, plummeted 16,000 to 342,250, […]
Claims for jobless aid suggest modest hiring
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits jumped 20,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 362,000, though it remains at a level that suggests slow but steady improvement in the job market. The Labor Department said Thursday that the four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose 8,000 to 360,750, the highest in six […]
Jobless aid applications fall to 5-year low
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid plummeted to a five-year low last week, a hopeful sign the job market may be improving. But much of the decline reflects seasonal volatility in the data. Weekly unemployment benefit applications fell 37,000 to a seasonally adjusted 335,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s the lowest […]
Applications for jobless aid fall to 393,000
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 393,000 last week. It was the second straight drop after Superstorm Sandy had driven applications much higher earlier this month. A Labor Department analyst said Thursday that the storm had little effect on last week’s data. Applications had spiked to […]
Superstorm Sandy pushes jobless claims to 439K
WASHINGTON — Superstorm Sandy drove the number of people seeking unemployment benefits up to a seasonally adjusted 439,000 last week, the highest level in 18 months. The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications increased by 78,000 mostly because a large number of applications were filed in states damaged by the storm. People can claim […]
Jobless claims fall for second time in 3 weeks
WASHINGTON — Applications for unemployment benefits dropped last week to the second-lowest level this year, evidence that companies are cutting fewer jobs. The Labor Department says first-time claims for jobless aid fell by 17,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 421,000 in the week ending Dec. 4. Wall Street analysts had expected a smaller decline. The four-week average […]
Jobless claims fall sharply to 4-month low
WASHINGTON — Fewer people applied for unemployment aid last week, the third drop in four weeks and evidence that the job market is showing signs of life. If the decline continues, it could signal more hiring in the near future. The report comes after the Labor Department said last week that private employers added the […]
Applications for jobless aid rise sharply
WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking jobless benefits jumped sharply last week, after two straight weeks of declines. The increase undermines hopes that unemployment claims, after falling four times in the previous five weeks, were on a sustained downward trend. That would signal layoffs were slowing and hiring was picking up. Instead, claims remain […]
New jobless claims dip for third straight week
WASHINGTON — New claims for jobless benefits fell for the third straight week but remain elevated, suggesting the labor market is still sluggish. Initial claims fell by 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 456,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s nearly the same level as in January. At the same time, the tally of laid-off workers […]
