Initial Jobless Claims Continue To Improve

Washington, DC, Jan. 8, 2010--Initial jobless claims were essentially unchanged in the week of Jan. 2, rising by 1,000 to 434,000 after large declines the previous two weeks, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Economists expected initial claims to drop to about 410,000.

The four-week average of initial claims fell by 10,250 to 450,250. That's the lowest since September 2008, just before the near-collapse of the financial system.

Compared with a year ago, initial claims are down 15%, while state continuing claims are up 13%.