Jobless claims fall, raise optimism for recovery | Reuters
New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly more than expected last week, offering a ray of hope for the anemic labor market recovery.
Initial claims for state unemployment aid dropped 11,000 to 457,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast claims slipping to 459,000 from the previously reported 464,000 the prior week, which was revised slightly up to 468,000 in Thursday’s report.
The four-week average of new jobless claims, seen as a better measure of underlying labor market trends, fell 4,500 to 452,500.