Claims for US jobless benefits fell unexpectedly last week, a US government report showed today, but the number of people staying on the benefit rolls continued to mount as hiring remained weak.
Initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits dropped for the third straight week, falling 16,000 to 388,000 in the June 23rd week, down from a revised 404,000 for the prior week as it reached its lowest level since matching 388,000 in the May 5th week, said the US labour department.
Economists had projected claims to rise to 412,000 from the 400,000 the department had originally reported for the June 16 week.
The number of continued claims - those who had already claimed at least a week of benefits - rose to 2,992,000 in the June 16th week, the latest week for which figures are available.
That is its highest level since 3,035,000 in the week of November 7th, 1992.