U.S. Jobless Claims Dropped Last Week

Initial claims, a proxy for layoffs across the U.S., decreased by 5,000

Sarah Chaney and

Sharon Nunn

Oct. 18, 2018 8:33 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON—The number of Americans filing applications for new unemployment benefits fell last week, indicative of a tight labor market in which employers are reluctant to lay off workers.

Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs across the U.S., decreased by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 210,000 in the week ended Oct. 13, the Labor Department said Thursday. This matched expectations of economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal.

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