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Jobless Claims in U.S. Decline for First Time in Three Weeks
Filings for U.S. jobless benefits fell for the first time in three weeks, staying near a four-decade low as employers remain unwilling to part with workers. Jobless claims declined by 3,000 to 258,000 in the week ended Oct. 22, a Labor Department report showed Thursday in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for 256,000. Continuing claims dropped to the lowest level since June 2000. With the job market improving and the unemployment rate holding at or below 5 percent this year, fewer skilled candidates are available for openings, prompting managers to hold onto their staffers. Filings have ... (full story)