U.S. Jobless Claims Post Largest Weekly Drop Since 2015
The recent retreat in the claims level should reinforce the view that the labor market remains historically tight
WASHINGTON—The number of Americans filing applications for new unemployment benefits fell last week by the most in 3½ years, likely easing concerns that a recent run up in jobless claims signaled cracks forming in the strong labor market.
Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs across the U.S., decreased by 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 206,000 in the week ended Dec. 8, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was the largest weekly decline since April 2015 and pushed the level of claims to just above a 49-year low touched...