ANKARA
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits held close to a 15-year low last week.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose 3,000 to 265,000 for the week ending May 2, the Labor Department said Thursday, well below the analyst consensus of 280,000.
Claims for the previous week were at 262,000 -- the lowest reading since April 2000.
The low level of jobless claims indicates economic improvement and could lead the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates sooner than expected.
