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US Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims
In the week ending December 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 236,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 238,000. The 4-week moving average was 241,500, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 242,250. Claims taking procedures continue to be disrupted in the Virgin Islands. Claims taking process in Puerto Rico has still not returned to normal. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.4 percent for the week ending November 25, unchanged from the previous week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally ... (full story)
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US weekly jobless claims total 236,000 vs 240,000 expected
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, suggesting a rapid tightening of the labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 236,000 for the week ended Dec. 2, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Data for the prior week was unrevised. It was the third straight weekly decline in claims. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims rising to 240,000 in the latest week. Last week marked the 144th straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a strong labor market. That is ... (full story)