New data from the Labor Department released Thursday showed that initial filings for U.S. unemployment benefits declined more than anticipated in the week ending April 11.
First-time jobless claims dropped to 207,000, down by 11,000 from the prior week’s revised figure of 218,000.
Economists had expected a more modest decline to 215,000, compared with the previously reported 219,000 for the week before.
At the same time, the four-week moving average—a smoother measure of trends in claims—edged slightly higher to 209,750, up by 500 from the prior week’s revised average of 209,250.