US Initial Jobless Claims Decline to Lowest Since Early February

Job seekers wait in line to speak with representatives during a career fair in Los Angeles.

Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

Applications for US unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in two months, consistent with a stable labor market.

Initial claims decreased by 9,000 to 215,000 in the week ended April 12, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 225,000 applications.