Weekly Jobless Claims Fall; 4-Week Average At Pre-Recession Level

By Jason Lange

WASHINGTON -- The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits fell last week to a near five-year low, a sign of economic health that could help convince the Federal Reserve to wind down a bond-buying stimulus program.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 323,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 1,000 more applications received than previously reported.