Alternate links: Google News | Twitter
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 228,000 for the week ended May 3, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 230,000 claims for the latest week.
The number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid, a proxy for hiring, decreased 29,000 to a seasonally adjusted 1.879 million during the week ending April 26, the claims report showed.