Jobless Claims in U.S. Decreased More Than Forecast Last Week

From bloomberg.com

The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits fell more than forecast last week, a sign that the U.S. labor market continues to make progress. Jobless claims in the week ended Aug. 24 dropped 6,000 to 331,000 from a revised 337,000 the week before that was higher than initially reported, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The median forecast of 50 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a drop to 332,000. As the effects of higher taxes and federal budget cuts begin to fade, employers are preparing for rising demand and improved growth by maintaining their workforces. While ... (full story)