WASHINGTON (AFP) - The number of US workers filing for unemployment benefits dropped by 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 303,000 in the week ended February 5, the lowest in more than four years.

AFP/File Photo Related Quotes DJIA NASDAQ S&P 500 10831.48 2060.72 1208.85 +25.86 -0.57 +1.84 Delayed Data Providers - Disclaimer Sponsored by: New Pro Platform

The less-volatile four-week average of initial claims fell by 16,000 to 315,500, also the lowest in more than four years.

A Labor Department (news - web sites) official said there were no special factors, such as weather or holidays, that affected the weekly figures.

Despite the decline in initial claims, the number of workers continuing to receive benefits rose by 47,000 to a seasonally adjusted 2.737 million in the week ended January 22.

The four-week average of continuing claims rose by 22,500 to 2.734 million.

The insured unemployment rate rose to 2.2 percent from 2.1 percent in the prior week.

The jobless claims data, which provide one view of the labor market, show improvement in conditions. Layoffs, represented by initial claims, have declined about 13 percent over the past year, from about 360,000 a year ago to about 315,000.

Story Tools

Email Story   Post/Read Msgs (141)   Formatted Story   Ratings: Would you recommend this story? Not at all 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 Highly