MarketWatch (02/16/12) Jeffrey Bartash
Claims for jobless benefits expectedly dropped last week to the lowest level in four years, showing the U.S. job market is on the mend. Weekly jobless claims in the U.S. fell by 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 348,000 in the week ended Feb. 11, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch estimated claims would total 368,000. The four-week average of claims fell by a smaller 1,750 to 365,250, keeping it near a four-year low.