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WASHINGTON -- Initial jobless claims fell sharply last week to their lowest level in three months, the Labor Department said Thursday, as a private report showed layoffs eased in February. About 323,000 people filed for first-time unemployment benefits in the week ending Saturday, down from 349,000, the previous week, the Labor Department said. The falloff was steeper than that expected by analysts, who had forecast 338,000 first-time claims. Last week's figure was the lowest since the end of November. Also on Thursday, outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. said the pace of business downsizing decreased last month. U.S....

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, but the underlying trend suggested no shift in labor market conditions. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 348,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 2,000 fewer applications received than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits slipping to 335,000 in the week ended February 22, which included the Presidents Day holiday. While last week's increase pushed them to the upper end of their range so...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to steadily improving labor market conditions, despite two straight months of weak hiring. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 336,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were unrevised. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits falling to 335,000 in the week ended Feb. 15. The four-week moving average for new claims, considered a better measure of underlying labor market conditions as it irons out week-to-week volatility, rose 1,750 to 338,500. A...

WASHINGTON -- Initial jobless claims rose last week, but remained at a level consistent with moderate labor market growth amid mixed signals recently about the strength of the economic recovery. About 339,000 people applied for first-time unemployment benefits in the week ended Saturday, up from 331,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists had projected a slight decrease to 330,000. The weekly claims figure, a key labor market indicator, has settled in recent weeks to about 335,000 after the usual holiday season volatility. The four-week average rose 3,500 last week, to 336,750. Economists say claims below 350,000 indicate...

The number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week fell to a six-week low, fueling optimism over the U.S. labor market, official data showed on Thursday. n a report, the U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending January 11 declined by 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 326,000 from the previous week’s revised total of 328,000. Analysts had expected U.S. jobless claims to hold steady at 328,000 last week. Continuing jobless claims in the week ended January 4 rose to 3.030 million from 2.856 million...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits last week fell slightly more than expected, pointing to an economy that was continuing to gain steam. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 330,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications to fall to 335,000 for the week ended January 4. The four-week moving average for new claims fell 9,750 to 349,000.

First-time claims for state unemployment benefits retreated sharply in the latest week after hitting their highest level since late March in the prior week, the Labor Department said Thursday. The number of initial claims fell 42,000 to 338,000 in the week ended Dec. 21. The consensus forecast of Wall Street economists was for claims to fall to about 345,000. This is the largest drop in weekly claims since November 2012. Analysts cautioned not to read too much into the data

Recent jobs data has demonstrated the labor market's resilient return to strength, but the latest initial jobless claims numbers released Thursday paint a different story. Seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims increased 68,000 to 368,000 for the week ended Dec. 7, 22% higher than a revised figure released a week earlier. The four-week moving average jumped 6,000 to 328,750. The increase in new claims for government unemployment benefits has negated recent declines and is higher than expected. According to analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, new claims were forecast to rise a modest 20,000 to 320,000 over the week.

The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 3.6 percent in the third quarter, according to data released Thursday by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That's a rise from the second quarter, when the real gross domestic product tallied a 2.5 percent gain. The pace of growth is the fastest since the first quarter of 2012, which clocked in at 3.7 percent. Thursday's release is the "second" estimate for the third quarter, following up on data released in November that put the GDP's increase at 2.8 percent. But the increase belies some potentially troubling signs. As The Associated Press...

Layoffs appear to be easing as the number of people who filed for unemployment claims last week dropped by 10,000 to 316,000, the U.S. Labor Department reported Wednesday. The number of initial unemployment claims has decreased in six of the last seven weeks, data show. The four-week moving average, a more reliable measure that irons out weekly volatility, fell by 7,500 to 331,750, the Labor Department said. A year ago, the four-week moving average was 401,000. California recorded the largest drop in initial jobless claims. Not adjusted for seasonality, the data show that claims in the Golden State fell by...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, suggesting some strengthening of labor market conditions. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 323,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 5,000 more applications received than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications to fall to 335,000 last week. The four-week moving average for new claims, which irons out week-to-week volatility, fell 6,750 to 338,500.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, but an upward revision to the prior week's figure suggested the labor market recovery remained gradual. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 339,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 5,000 more applications received than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications to fall to 330,000 last week. The four-week moving average for new claims, which irons out week-to-week volatility, dropped 5,750 to 344,000.

First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits fell by less than expected in the week ended October 19th, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday, although the data continued to be distorted. The report said initial jobless claims dropped to 350,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 362,000. Economists had expected claims to fall to 340,000 from the 358,000 originally reported for the previous week. Jobless claims fell for the second consecutive week, partly offsetting the substantial jump that was seen in the week ended October 5th. However, the Labor Department said...

While the data may be taken with a grain of salt in light of recent technical issues, the Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing that first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly decreased in the week ended September 21st. The report said initial jobless claims fell to 305,000, a decrease of 5,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 310,000. The modest decrease came as a surprise to economists, who had expected jobless claims to climb to 325,000 from the 309,000 originally reported for the previous week. The jobless claims data in recent weeks was impacted by computer...

First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits showed a modest decrease in the week ended August 24th, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday. The report said initial jobless claims edged down to 331,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 337,000. The modest drop came roughly in line with the expectations of economists, who expected jobless claims to dip to 330,000 from the 336,000 originally reported for the previous week. Despite the modest pullback, however, jobless claims remain above the five-year low of 322,000 set in the week ended August 10th. The...

The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits rose slightly last week but was near its lowest level since before the 2007-09 recession, a hopeful sign for the U.S. economy. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose by 5,000 last week to 333,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications to rise to 336,000 last week. Claims were volatile in July due to regular summer auto plant shutdowns which make it hard for the government to adjust the data for seasonal swings. But that volatility is now past, and a Labor Department...

Initial jobless claims rose more than expected last week to 343,000, but continued to signal moderate labor market growth. The number of people who filed for first-time unemployment benefits for the week ending Saturday was up 7,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 336,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had projected the level to be 340,000.

The number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. fell more-than-expected last week, easing concerns over the U.S. jobs market, official data showed on Thursday. In a report, the U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending July 13 fell by 24,000 to a seasonally adjusted 334,000, compared to expectations for a drop of 13,000 to 345,000. Jobless claims for the preceding week were revised down to a gain of 358,000, from a previously reported 360,000. Continuing jobless claims in the week ended July 6 rose to...

The number of Americans applying for first-time unemployment benefits rose sharply last week to 360,000, an increase of 16,000 and much higher than the number analysts were expecting, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S expected, on average, claims for the seven days between June 30 and July 6 to fall to 340,000 below the previous week's revised figure of 344,000. By comparison, there were 363,000 first-time claims filed during the comparable week last year (seasonally adjusted). Although claims spiked, Labor Department officials and economists caution that one should not read too much into any...

Three reports Wednesday morning all offer at least modestly good news about the U.S. economy: — There were 343,000 first-time claims for jobless benefits last week, down 5,000 from the week before, says the Employment and Training Administration. — Job growth picked up in the private sector last month, say the data crunchers who produce the monthly ADP National Employment Report. That payroll firm's national survey shows a gain of 188,000 jobs, up from growth of 134,000 jobs in May. Moody's Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi, who works with ADP on the surveys, says in a statement that "the job...