The number of people claiming unemployment benefits for the first time in the US unexpectedly dropped last week, while the southeastern US states affected by Hurricane “Helen” saw a sharp rise in the number of applicants the previous week. According to data released by the US Department of Labor on Thursday, the number of first-time jobless claims fell by 19,000 to 241,000 in the week ending October 12. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had a median forecast of 259,000 people. In the week ending October 5, the number of people continuing to claim unemployment benefits rose to 1.87 million, the highest level since July.

Zhitongcaijing · 10/17 12:57
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits for the first time in the US unexpectedly dropped last week, while the southeastern US states affected by Hurricane “Helen” saw a sharp rise in the number of applicants the previous week. According to data released by the US Department of Labor on Thursday, the number of first-time jobless claims fell by 19,000 to 241,000 in the week ending October 12. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had a median forecast of 259,000 people. In the week ending October 5, the number of people continuing to claim unemployment benefits rose to 1.87 million, the highest level since July.