Jobs
US Jobless Claims Decline to the Lowest Level in a Month
- Applications for unemployment benefits fell to 201,000
- California and Kentucky saw the largest drops among states
Job seekers attend an employment and resource fair in Long Beach, California.
Photographer: Eric Thayer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Initial applications for US unemployment benefits fell to the lowest in a month last week, underscoring continued strength in the labor market despite a growing number of high-profile job cuts at large companies.
Initial claims decreased by 12,000 to 201,000 in the week ending Feb. 17, according to Labor Department data released on Thursday. The figure was lower than all economists’ estimates in a Bloomberg survey.