Jobless Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Drop to Two-Month Low
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Applications for U.S. employment benefits unexpectedly fell last week to the lowest level in more than two months as the data becomes more difficult to adjust for seasonal variations during the year-end holiday period.
Jobless claims decreased 23,000 to 298,000 in the week ended Nov. 30, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The median forecast of 41 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for an increase to 320,000 from an initially reported 316,000 the prior week. The reading was the lowest since the first week in September when the Labor Day holiday also played havoc with the figures.