US Unemployment Claims Fell to 8 Week Low

Filings for U.S. unemployment benefits declined to the lowest level in eight weeks, showing volatility typical around the holiday period.

Jobless claims dropped by 28,000 to 235,000 in the week ended Dec. 31, a Labor Department report showed Thursday in Washington. The median projection of economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for 260,000.

While the figures usually show swings around the year-end holidays, firms have generally avoided firings as the job market tightens and the supply of available workers shrinks. Employers probably continued to add staffers at a solid pace last month, analysts estimated ahead of data due Friday from the Labor Department.

via Bloomberg

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