MW: U.S. weekly initial jobless claims fall 16,000 to 461,000
By Ruth Mantell
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- First-time claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 16,000 to 461,000 in the week ended Oct. 11, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of those claims rose 750 to 483,250 - the highest level since October 2001. For the week ended Oct. 4, the number of Americans continuing to collect benefits rose 40,000 to 3.71 million -- the highest level since June 2003. The four-week average of continuing claims rose 65,750 to 3.63 million -- the highest since July 2003.
