In the week ending February 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 201,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 212,000 to 213,000. The 4-week moving average was 215,250, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 218,500 to 218,750. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent for the week ending February 10, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for ... (full story)

The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits in mid-February fell to a five-week low of 201,000 and signaled the U.S. labor market is still going strong. Initial jobless claims fell by 12,000 from 213,000 in the prior week, the government said Thursday. New jobless claims have ranged from 189,000 to 227,000 in the new year, a remarkably low level from a historical perspective. Market reaction: The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA and S&P 500 SPX were set to open higher in Thursday trading. Stocks have gotten a lift from strong Nvidia NVDA, -2.85% earnings. Economists polled by The Wall Street ... (full story)