US Jobless Claims Fall Last Week

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, a sign the tight labor market is making firms reluctant to dismiss workers.

Initial jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs across the U.S., decreased by 11,000 to a seasonally adjusted 225,000 in the week ended Dec. 9, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected 235,000 new claims last week.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 14, 2017 08:47 ET (13:47 GMT)