The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week as layoffs remain relatively low despite other signs of a cooling labor market.
Jobless claims fell by 5,000, to 227,000 for the week of Aug. 31, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s less than the 230,000 new filings analysts were expecting.
The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, fell by 1,750, to 230,000.
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Weekly filings for unemployment benefits, which are considered a proxy for layoffs, remain low by historical standards.
The total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits declined by 22,000, to 1.84 million for the week of Aug. 24.
