Initial U.S. Jobless Claims Decline

First-time filings for U.S. unemployment benefits fell to a seasonally adjusted 355,000 last week, a decline of 35,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 390,000 claims, the U.S. Labor Department reported on October 20. Both the number of claims and the amount of the decline were roughly in line with what economists expected.

The Labor Department's four-week moving average of initial claims was 376,000 for the week ending October 15, some 20,000 claims fewer than the previous week's revised average of 396,000.