New claims for US unemployment insurance benefits fell for the fourth straight week, the longest stretch since the economy entered recession more than two years ago, official data showed Thursday.
The Labor Department said initial jobless claims totaled 444,000 in the week ending May 8, down 4,000 from the prior week’s revised figure of 448,000. The reading was higher than the average analyst forecast of 440,000. The four-week decline in new claims was the longest since the world’s largest economy slid into recession in December 2007.
Washington, May 13, 2010 (AFP)
