The number of US workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell faster than expected last week, extending a four-week decline, government data showed Thursday.
Claims for the week to September 11 fell to 450,000, down 3,000 from the previous week's revised figure, the Labor Department said.
The latest figure was better than most economists' expectations of 460,000 new claims, sparking renewed optimism about the recovery.
The unemployment rate for workers with unemployment insurance for the week ended Sept. 4 was 3.5%, a 0.1 percentage point decline from the prior week's revised rate of 3.6%.
