Initial Claims

WASHINGTON -- The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped to its lowest level in nearly 5½ years last week, signaling labor market resilience in the face of fiscal austerity. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 323,000, the ...

By Paul Wiseman WASHINGTON -- The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dropped by 35,000 last week, a figure that may have been distorted by seasonal factors. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications fell to a seasonally adjusted 353,000. That's down from a revised 388,000 ...

By Christopher S. Rugaber WASHINGTON -- More people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week. But the overall level stayed low enough to suggest the job market is strengthening. The Labor Department says weekly applications increased by 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 362,000, the highest level since ...