U.S. Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Fall to Lowest Since November

Applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. unexpectedly declined last week to an almost three-month low, echoing a vibrant job market.

Jobless claims fell by 12,000 to 234,000 in the week ended Feb. 4, a report from the Labor Department showed Thursday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for 249,000. The average number of applications filed over the past four weeks reached the lowest point since 1973.