U.S. Jobless Claims Hover Near Lowest Level in Four Decades
Workers at an auto shop in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Fewer Americans than forecast filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, giving workers more reason to feel secure in their jobs.
Jobless claims rose by 3,000 to 259,000 in the week ended Oct. 17, a report from the Labor Department showed on Thursday in Washington. The median forecast of 47 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for 265,000. The four-week average, a less-volatile measure, was the lowest in four decades.