U.S. Jobless Claims Fell 16,000 to 453,000 Last Week

Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits decreased last week, a sign companies are cutting back on firings even as economic growth slows. Initial jobless claims decreased by 16,000 to 453,000 in the week ended Sept. 25, lower than the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The U.S. economy expanded at a 1.7 percent annual rate in the second quarter, marking the start of a slowdown in growth that has concerned the Federal Reserve. Bloomberg's Betty Liu and Michael McKee report. (Source: Bloomberg)