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WASHINGTON—The number of Americans filing claims for new jobless benefits fell last week and remained near prerecession levels, an indication the labor market continues to improve. Initial claims for unemployment benefits dropped by 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 300,000 in the week ended May 24, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimated claims would fall to 319,000 from the prior week. First-time claims for the May 17 week were revised up slightly to 327,000 Meanwhile, a measure of claims that evens out weekly volatility—the four-week moving average—declined by 11,250 last week to 311,500. That...

The 28,000 U.S. initial weekly jobless claims bounce to 326,000 reversed the 23,000 drop to a cycle-low 298,000 (was 297,000) from a similar 321,000 in the first week of May and a 345,000 recent-high at the end of April. Claims are averaging a lean 314,000 thus far in May, following recent averages of 322,000 in April, 320,000 in March, and 337,000 in February. Today's 326,000 survey week reading overshot the lean 305,000 April figure, but sits close to the 323,000 March figure and below the 334,000 February figure.

The fewest Americans in seven years filed applications for unemployment benefits last week as the labour market continued to improve. Jobless claims dropped by 24,000 to 297,000 in the week ended 10 May, less than any economist projected in a Bloomberg survey and the least since May 2007, figures from the labour department showed on Thursday in Washington. The median estimate of 49 economists surveyed was 320,000. Firings have been slowing, setting the stage for continued growth in employment and wages. While payrolls rebounded in April after the holidays and a weather-induced soft patch earlier in the year, many companies...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, indicating the labor market was strengthening despite a run-up in applications in prior weeks. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 26,000 to a seasonally adjusted 319,000 for the week ended May 3, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The decline snapped three straight weeks of increases. Claims for the week ended April 26 were revised to show 1,000 more applications received than previously reported.

WASHINGTON (MNI) - Initial claims for U.S. state unemployment benefits jumped for the second straight week in the April 26 week, climbing by 14,000 to 344,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The Labor Department said there were no special factors, however, the latest report reflects a second straight week of a double digit increase in initial claims which are now at the highest level since February 22 week when they were 351,000. Expectations for this week's report was for a claims level of 320,000, which would have been a 9,000 decrease from the previously reported 329,000 level in the April...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week, but the rise probably does not suggest a shift in labor market conditions as the underlying trend continued to point to strength. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 24,000 to a seasonally adjusted 329,000 for the week ended April 19, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the week ended April 12 were revised to show 1,000 more applications received than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits rising to 310,000. The increase probably reflects difficulties...

Initial unemployment claims improved unexpectedly last week to a level unseen in seven years, and though the new figures from the Labor Department aren’t quite as good, they’re close. The number of people who applied for unemployment-insurance benefits ticked up by 2,000 to 304,000 in the week that ended April 12, a slight increase from the lowest level since 2007, signaling that employers are maintaining a slow pace of layoffs, according to government data released Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected claims to total a seasonally adjusted 315,000 in the latest weekly data. The average of new claims over...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to the lowest level in almost seven years, which could bolster views of an acceleration in job growth after a cold winter dampened hiring. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 32,000 to a seasonally adjusted 300,000 for the week ended April 5, the lowest level since May 2007, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the week ended March 29 were revised to show 6,000 more applications received than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits falling to...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, but the underlying trend continued to point to some strength in the labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 326,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the week ended March 22 were revised to show 1,000 fewer applications received than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits rising to 317,000 in the week ended March 29. The four-week moving average for new claims, considered a better measure of underlying...

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week and touched its lowest level in nearly four months, suggesting the labor market was strengthening. A separate report showed U.S. economic growth was a bit faster than previously estimated in the fourth quarter, displaying underlying strength that could bolster views that the slowdown in activity early in the year would be temporary. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 311,000, the lowest level since November, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the week ended March 15 were revised to...

Washington, DC, United States (4E) – The number of Americans who filed for unemployment benefits for the first time climbed slightly higher last week, signaling stabilization in the labor market. In the week ended March 15, initial unemployment claims — which gauges the layoff trends across the country — jumped by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 320,000, according to the Labor Department report released Thursday. The reading is in line with economists’ estimate in a poll by the Dow Jones Newswires. The previous week’s claims figures were unrevised at 315,000. The four-week moving average of claims — a broader figure...

- Initial jobless claims unexpectedly fell last week to 315,000, the lowest level since November, as the labor market showed signs of emerging from a winter chill. The number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits was down from 324,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said. Economists had projected claims to increase to 330,000. The four-week average fell by 6,250 last week to 330,500.

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.