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Jobless claims down
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April 20, 2000: 10:02 a.m. ET
First-time filings for state unemployment benefits drop by 9,000
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell to 257,000 for the week ended April 15 from a revised 266,000 the prior week, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 266,000 initial claims for the April 15 week.
 The four-week moving average of claims, which generally provides a more
accurate picture of jobless trends, was reported as 262,500 for the April 15 week, down from a revised 264,000 the prior week. The jobless claims figures are the lowest since 256,000 reported in the Dec 1, 1973, week.
Fourteen states reported an increase in claims of more than 1,000 in the week ended April 8, among them Texas, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Washington and Tennessee. North Carolina reported a decrease in claims of 1,528 for the period.
Texas blamed layoffs in the lumber industry, with Alabama reporting layoffs in the textile industry. Pennsylvania saw unemployment in manufacturing rise, while Tennessee pointed to layoffs in the construction industry. 
-- Compiled by Tatiana Helenius
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