Jobless Claims Fell By 27,000 Last Week

NPR | By Mark Memmott

Published February 14, 2013 at 9:05 AM EST

The number of people filing first-time clams for unemployment insurance fell by 27,000 last week, to 341,000 from 368,000 the week before.

The Employment and Training Administration also reports that the "4-week moving average was 352,500, an increase of 1,500." That average, in theory, gives a better picture of the trend.

According to Reuters, the drop last week was larger than expected and points to "a continued steady improvement in labor market conditions." The slight uptick in the 4-week average, though, underscores that the improvement appears to be slow.

Mark Memmott

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.

See stories by Mark Memmott

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