Those on the dole south of the border are continuing to shrink in number.
Data released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department reported new applications for U.S. jobless benefits unexpectedly fell last week and the number of Americans on unemployment rolls hit a 28-1/2-year low, pointing to a rapidly tightening labour market that could encourage the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in June.
The report revealed that initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 2,000 to a seasonally-adjusted 236,000 for the week ended May 6. Claims for the prior week were unrevised.
Economists had forecast first-time applications for jobless benefits rising to 245,000.
Claims have now been below 300,000, a threshold associated with a healthy labour market, for 114 straight weeks. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, under President Nixon, when the labour market was smaller. The American labour market is close to full employment, with the unemployment rate at a near 10-year low of 4.4%
Thursday's claims report also showed the number of people still receiving benefits after an initial week of aid tumbled 61,000 to 1.92 million in the week ended April 29, the lowest level since November 1988.
The four-week moving average of the so-called continuing claims fell 27,500 to 1.97 million, the lowest level since February 1974.
