An employee at Home Depot (NYSE:HD) beyond a now hiring sign at a satellite location. (Photo: Reuters)
The Labor Department Thursday said weekly jobless claims came in at 244,000, which pulled the 4-week average lower for the third week in row. The four-week moving average decline a sizable 4,250 to 243,000.
Economists expected a slightly less 242,000.
A Labor Department analyst said there were no special factors impacting the data, though claims from Puerto Rico and once again Louisiana had to be estimated.
Continuing claims, which lag a week, were also favorable, falling significantly 49,000 to 1.979 million for a 17-year low. This 4-week average is down 2,000 to 2.024 million which is also a 17-year low.
The unemployment rate for insured workers–excluding job leavers and re-entrants–is down 1 tenth to a very low 1.4%.
