U.S. Jobless Claims Fall; Planned Layoffs Smallest in 15-1/2 Years
via Reuters
“The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits fell last week and layoffs in December were the smallest in 15-1/2 years, pointing to a firmer labor market even as economic growth appears to have slowed sharply in the fourth quarter.
Coming on the heels of a report on Wednesday showing private payrolls in December notched their biggest increase in a year, the data on Thursday suggest the economy’s fundamentals remain healthy as it struggles against the headwinds of a strong dollar, bloated inventories and energy sector investment cuts.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 277,000 for the week ended Jan. 2, the Labor Department said. The decline partially unwound the prior week’s jump, which had lifted claims to their highest level since early July.”
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