Jobless Claims in U.S. Plunge to 15-Year Low
Jobless claims plunged by 43,000 to 265,000 in the week ended Jan. 24, the lowest since April 2000, a Labor Department report showed Thursday in Washington.
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Data on jobless claims Thursday confirmed what U.S. consumers have been saying for the past three months: a strengthening job market is making Americans more confident.
The number of applications for unemployment insurance benefits plunged by 43,000 to 265,000 in the week ended Jan. 24, the fewest since April 2000, according to the Labor Department. The Bloomberg index of consumer comfort climbed in the seven-day period ended Jan. 25 to the highest level since July 2007.