02.02.202312:42:00UTC+00U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Edge Down To 183,000

The Labor Department released a report on Thursday unexpectedly showing another modest decrease by first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits in the week ended January 28th.

The report said initial jobless claims edged down to 183,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 186,000. The dip surprised economists, who had expected jobless claims to climb to 200,000.

With the expected decrease, jobless claims fell to their lowest level since hitting 181,000 in the week ended April 23, 2022.

The Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average also slipped to 191,750, a decrease of 5,750 from the previous week's unrevised average of 197,500.