By IANS/EFE,
Washington : The number of people filing initial applications for unemployment benefits dropped by 4,000 last week to 364,000, the lowest level since April 2008, the US labor department said Thursday.
The rolling four-week average of new claims, viewed as a better gauge of underlying trends, fell 8,000 to 380,250, the best reading in nearly 3 1/2 years.
Around 3.55 million people were receiving state unemployment benefits during the week that ended Dec 10. The total number of recipients of state or federal jobless aid declined by 300,000 to 7.15 million.
State benefits generally run out after 26 weeks, but the worst economic slump since the Great Depression prompted lawmakers to approve federal emergency programs that provide jobless benefits for up to 99 weeks.
The US economy lost 8.4 million jobs between December 2007 and June 2009, when the recession officially ended.
The labor department’s November jobs report, released Dec 9, showed the unemployment rate dropping from 9 percent to 8.6 percent as the economy added 120,000 net new jobs. The rate now stands at its lowest level in 2 1/2 years.