Initial Jobless Claims Fall

Washington, DC, April 1, 2010--Initial jobless claims fell 6,000 in the week ended March 27 to a seasonally adjusted 439,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected a result of 443,000. The four-week average of initial claims declined by 6,750 to 447,250, the lowest level since September 2008.

For the week ended March 20, continuing claims fell 6,000 to 4.66 million. The four-week average of these ongoing claims declined 12,500 to 4.68 million, the lowest level since January 2009.