Claims have fallen steadily
Claims have fallen steadily since the nation emerged from the 2007-09 recession and are currently lower than they were before the country's economic crisis began. Indeed, the current level is only 8,000 above the 14-year low reached in July.
Thursday's data is "consistent with the continued, solid performance in the labor market," said Keith Hembre, chief economist at Nuveen Asset Management in Minneapolis.
