Published on 24th January 2013
Initial jobless claims fell again last week, to 330,000, a fresh five-year low, as the labor market continued a strong start to 2013. There were 5,000 fewer people who filed for first-time unemployment benefits in the week ending Saturday than in the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. The last time there were fewer initial jobless claims was exactly five years ago, when 318,000 filed for benefits. The drop last week was below analysts' estimates of 355,000 and could reflect the complexities of seasonal adjustments after the holidays and at the start of a new quarter. [The Chicago Tribune