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US Unemployment Benefits Preview
The U.S. Labor Department reports on the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week. The report will be released Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. SLIGHTLY LOWER: Economists forecast that weekly applications declined 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 285,000, according to a survey by FactSet. If the forecasts are accurate, it would mark the eighth straight week of applications below 300,000. Applications below that level are consistent with a healthy job market. Applications are a proxy for layoffs and have fallen 20 percent in the past year. The steep decline suggests rising confidence among ... (full story)