First-time claims for jobless benefits in the United States declined
after hitting a two-and-a-half year high last week, the Department of
Labor reported Thursday.
U.S. initial jobless claims came in lower-than-expected in the week
ending April 5. A total of 357K initial jobless claims were filed;
forecasts were looking for a total of 383k claims. The previous week’s
figure was revised to 410k from 407k – both are two-and-a-half year
highs.