US initial jobless claims decline by 15,000
New claims for unemployment benefits fell by 15,000 to 214,000 across the US in the week ended 12 March, according to the Labor Department, for the lowest figure in ten weeks.
That figure was down from the prior week's revised 229,000 reading and ahead of market expectations for a print of 220,000. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, initial claims decreased by 16,981 from the previous week to 202,894, with marked declines recorded in New York, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia.
The four-week moving average, which aims to strip out week-to-week volatility, was 223,000, a decrease of 8,750 week-on-week, while continuing claims printed at 1.41m.