Ovunc Kutlu
18 January 2024•Update: 18 January 2024
ISTANBUL
The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims fell by 16,000 last week to 187,000, according to Labor Department data released on Thursday.
"This is the lowest level for initial claims since September 24, 2022 when it was 182,000," it said in a report.
The figure came in far lower than market estimates of 207,000, while the previous week's reading was revised up by only 1,000, from 202,000 to 203,000.
The four-week moving average was 203,250, a drop of 4,750 from the previous week's revised average.
The US economy added 216,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.7%.
