Weekly Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Fall Last Week

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON -- The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, offering signs of a steady improvement in the labor market.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 316,000, the Labor Department said Wednesday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 3,000 more applications received than previously reported.