The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits fell last week, an indication the labour market stateside could continue its expansion into the second half of the year.
Figures released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department showed initial claims for unemployment benefits, a proxy for layoffs across the U.S., fell by 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 253,000 in the week ended July 16.
Economists projected 260,000 new claims. Claims for the week ended July 9 were unrevised at 254,000.
Data on unemployment claims can be volatile from week to week. The department said no special factors affected last week’s figure.
Although the department adjusts for seasonal variation, auto factories typically shut down during the summer to retool, temporarily laying off workers and potentially causing distortions in the week-to-week numbers.
The four-week moving average, which helps even out short-run swings in the data, fell by 1,250 last week to a seasonally-adjusted 257,750.
