U.S. Jobless Claims Fall More Than Expected

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, offering fresh evidence that the labor market was gathering steam.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 283,000 for the week ended Feb. 14, the Labor Department said on Thursday.

The prior week's data was unrevised. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims falling to 293,000 last week.