U.S. Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Fall As Labor Market Mends

U.S. Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Fall As Labor Market Mends

Fewer Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, a sign the labor market may keep improving after employment picked up in July.

Jobless claims unexpectedly dropped by 6,000 to 361,000 in the week ended Aug. 4, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 43 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for an increase to 370,000. A spokesman for the agency said there was nothing unusual in the data.