Jobless claims drop
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February 3, 2000: 9:06 a.m. ET
Initial claims fall by 5,000 as 21 states report a decrease applicants
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell to 274,000 for the week ended Jan. 29, down slightly from a revised 279,000 the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday, indicating a continuing tight labor market.
The four-week moving average of claims, which generally provides a more accurate picture of jobless trends, was at 282,000 for the Jan. 29 reporting week, down from a revised 291,000 the week before.
Continued claims dropped to 2,005,000 for the week ended Jan. 22, the latest data available, from a revised 2,141,000 for the Jan. 15 reporting period.
No states reported increases in claims of more than 1,000 in the week ended Jan.22, the latest period for which data are available. Twenty-one states reported a decrease in claims of more than 1,000 for the same period. Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Alabama reported the biggest decrease in claims.
Tennessee reported a drop in layoffs in the textile, construction, and industrial machinery industries, while Georgia pointed to fewer layoffs in manufacturing. Michigan reported fewer layoffs in the auto industry, with Alabama reporting greater demand for workers in textile and apparel industries.
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