By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - New applications for unemployment benefits fell last week by 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 405,000, putting claims at the lowest level in three months, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch has expected new request for jobless benefits to total 420,000 in the week ended July 9. Claims in the prior week were revised up to 427,000 from an original reading of 418,000. The decline in claims would have been even steeper if not for a government shutdown in Minnesota. Minnesota said 11,500 state workers filed applications for jobless benefits last week. The average of new claims over the past four weeks, meanwhile, dropped 3,750 to 423,250. Continuing claims increased by 15,000, to 3.73 million and a total of 7.48 million people received some kind of state or federal benefit in the week ended June 25.
