Good news: U.S. jobless claims inch lower in latest week

From MarketWatch | Oct 29, 2009

By
Greg Robb

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - First-time claims for state unemployment
benefits inched lower in the latest week, the Labor Department reported
Thursday. The number of initial claims in the week ending Oct. 24 fell
1,000 to 531,000. The consensus forecast of Wall Street economists was
for claims to fall to 524,000. The four-week average of initial claims
fell 6,000 to 526,250, the lowest level since early January. Meanwhile,
the number of Americans receiving state jobless benefits fell 148,000
to 5.80 million in the week ending Oct 17. This is the lowest level
since late March. The four-week moving average of continuing claims
fell 78,750 to 5.96 million, the lowest level since mid-April.