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US jobless claims drop steeply

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-09 22:46

WASHINGTON: The number of US workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell sharply last week but the decline was amplified by seasonal adjustments mainly connected with fewer-than-expected layoffs in the automotive sector, the Labor Department said on Thursday.

Related readings:  US new jobless claims swell to 627K  US jobless rate hits 9.4% in May while layoffs slow  Auto layoffs lift US jobless claims, PPI up  US jobless rate up to 8.9%, highest in 26 years  US layoffs slow to 539K in April; jobless rate rises

Initial claims for state unemployment insurance fell 52,000 to a much lower-than-expected seasonally adjusted 565,000 in the week ended July 4 from 617,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said.

It was the lowest reading since January. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast claims to drop to 605,000 from a previously reported 614,000.

But in a sign of ongoing employment weakness, so-called continued claims of people still on jobless aid after an initial week of benefits rose by 159,000 to a record 6.883 million in the week ending June 27, the latest for which data is available.