MW: MW: Weekly U.S.jobless claims fall 21,000 to 454,000
By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The number of people filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell 21,000 in the latest week to a still-high 454,000, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department. Jobless claims have bounced up and down over the past six months, but they have shown no overall improvement, Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected initial claims to fall to 458,000. The four-week average of initial claims - a better gauge of employment trends than the volatile weekly number - fell by 1,250 to 466,000.
