US jobless claims fell last week

The number of first-time jobless claimants in the US dropped to 239,000 in the week ending August 12.

The US Department of Labor has released data on weekly jobless claims.

Consequently, the number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time in the country decreased by 11,000 to 239,000 in the week ending August 12 compared to the previous week.

Unemployment benefits, slightly below market expectations, were expected to reach 240,000 in this period. The data from the previous week for applications for unemployment benefits was revised from 248,000 to 250,000.

As of last week, the 4-week average jobless claims were up by 2,750 people compared to the previous week and reached 234,250.

On the other hand, applications for unemployment benefits in progress increased by 32,000 in the week of August 5 to 1,716,000. (AA)