Initial Jobless Claims Fall More Than Expected

Washington, DC, Dec. 9, 2010 -- Initial jobless claims fell by 17,000 last week to 421,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Economists had expected initial claims in the week of Dec. 4 to fall to 425,000.

Last week's number was revised up by 2,000 to 438,000.

Continuing claims, which reflect people already receiving unemployment checks, declined 191,000 to a seasonally adjusted 4.1 million.