WASHINGTON: US jobless claims declined last week in welcome news for the nation’s battered labor market after the impact of a government shutdown on furloughed federal workers diminished.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 340,000, the Labour Department said yesterday. Claims filed by federal employees dropped 29,713 in the week ended October 19 to 14,423.
The US labour market has apparently slackened in recent months, with private-sector employers hiring fewer workers in October, after uncertainty caused by budget brinkmanship in Washington dented consumer and business confidence.
The government will publish October’s employment report on November 8.
Reuters
