The number of new US jobless applications fell in the latest week with fewer claimants reapplying for benefits, the US government said today.
The Labour Department said first-time jobless claims - a guide to the job market and the pace of layoffs - fell 10,000 to a revised 418,000 for the prior week, but well above the Wall Street forecast for 407,000.
The figure extended its run over the key 400,000 level to six weeks.
The four-week moving average, considered a more reliable indicator of the job market's health, fell for the first time in seven weeks to 435,750 in the week ended April 27th. That figure was down from 454,250 recorded for the previous week.