Economics

U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to Five Week-Low Despite Shutdown

Workers wearing protective suits paint a semi truck chassis inside a paint booth at a vehicle assembly facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania.Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
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Filings for U.S. unemployment benefitsunexpectedly fell to a five-week low, even amid a partialfederal government shutdown.

Jobless claims declined by 3,000 to 213,000 in the week endedJan. 12, below economist forecasts, Labor Department figuresshowed Thursday. The four-week average, a less-volatile measure,declined to 220,750.