U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Edge Down To 209,000

(RTTNews) - First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits slipped from an upwardly revised level in the week ended January 24th, the Labor Department revealed in a report released on Thursday.

The report said initial jobless claims edged down to 209,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level of 210,000.

Economists had expected jobless claims to rise to 205,000 from the 200,000 originally reported for the previous month.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department said the less volatile four-week moving average crept up to 206,250, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average of 204,000.