Fewer Americans Than Forecast Filed for Jobless Claims Last Week
Workers apply fiberglass to an inboard speed boat mold at a factory in Vonore, Tennessee.
Photographer: Luke Sharett/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The number of applications to collect jobless benefits rose less than forecast last week, indicating employers are leery of dismissing workers as the labor market tightens.
Jobless claims rose by 3,000 to 254,000 in the week ended Sept. 24 from a five-month low in the previous period, a Labor Department report showed Thursday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for 260,000. The number of Americans already on benefit rolls declined to the lowest level since 2000.