The number of U.S. job seekers filing initial claims for unemployment benefits fell unexpectedly last week, returning to near the lowest levels in decades.
Figures released by the U.S. Labor Department Thursday indicated that initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined by 15,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 234,000 for the week ended Jan. 14. Economists had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits rising to 254,000 in the latest week.
The number of claims for the previous week was revised up by 2,000 to 249,000.
