LINK$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'O')ct. 7, 2010, 9:40 a.m. EDT
Initial jobless claims drop 11,000 to 445,000
Workers continuing to receive benefits fall slightly to 4.46 millionBy Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The number of people who filed new claims for state unemployment benefits fell 11,000 to 445,000 in the latest week, the lowest level since early July, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday
Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected initial claims to rise to a seasonally adjusted 455,000 in the week ended Oct. 2. Claims for last week were revised up by 3,000 to 456,000.
The news was received positively by markets, as U.S. stocks rose in early trade on Thursday.
New applications for jobless benefits have dropped almost 10% after spiking above 500,000 in midsummer, and they are now slightly lower compared to the end of 2009. Yet claims continue to hover in the 450,000 range, a level historically associated with sluggish economy.
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