U.S. Jobless Claims Fall Unexpectedly

The number of Americans filing initial claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell by 20,000 last week to levels close to their lowest in six years, a government report said.

First-time claims for state unemployment aid dropped to 278,000 in the week ended Saturday from an upwardly revised 298,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said. The number remained fewer than 300,000 for the sixth straight week, the longest stretch in more than five years.