The U.S. dollar gained ground against its major rivals Thursday after the Labor Department said initial claims for unemployment benefits fell in the latest week to the lowest level since January. The dollar index , a measure of the greenback against a basket of currencies, traded at 84.014 from 83.826 in late North American trading Wednesday. The report said continuing claims reached a new record high, indicating more difficulty in finding a new job. The data comes one day before the government's crucial monthly payrolls report. The euro fell after the European Central Bank cut borrowing costs and said it would buy covered bonds. The euro bought $1.3338, from $1.3341 on Wednesday. The British pound also fell, as the Bank of England kept its target rate steady but increased the amount of bonds it would purchase. The British pound slid to $1.5070 from $1.5131 Wednesday
