(CercleFinance.com) – U.S. jobless claims fell by 19,000 in the week-ending Dec. 26, to 204,000 versus 223,000 (revised from an initial estimate of 225,000) the week prior, according to the Labor Department .
The four-week moving average – seen as a better indicator of the underlying trend in the labor market – shows a decline of 6750 on a weekly basis to settle at 213,750.
Finally, the number of people receiving regular benefits also decreased, by 24,000, to reach 1,694,000 during the week of December 19, the latest week available for this statistic.
