The U.S. Labor Department reported today that the number of people filing new unemployment-benefit claims nationwide plummeted to 300,000 for the week ending April 5, compared to the revised figure of 332,000 a week earlier.
It’s the lowest mark since May 12, 2007, according to a Department of Labor news release issued today.
Analysts had been expecting 320,000 initial claims in the latest week, according to Yahoo Finance.
The four-week moving average for national first-time jobless claims fell by 4,750 to 316,250 in the latest week. The U.S. data is seasonally adjusted.
Meanwhile, in New York state, the number of people applying for new unemployment-insurance benefits in the week ending March 29 rose by 460, or nearly 3 percent, to 18,356
The number of New Yorkers continuing to receive unemployment benefits, however, declined to 234,240 in the latest week, the lowest level so far this year, from 239,844 the week before.
The state data is not seasonally adjusted.
Next week, the Labor Department will release state data for new unemployment-benefit filings for the week ending April 5.
Contact Rombel at arombel@cnybj.com