Jobless Claims Suggest Improving Labor Market

Washington, DC, Feb. 2, 2012 -- Initial jobless claims dropped by 12,000 to 367,000 in the week ended Jan. 28, the Labor Department said.

That’s near a four-year low.

Economists had estimated claims would drop to 370,000. Claims from two weeks ago were revised up by 2,000 to 379,000.

The four-week average of claims fell by a smaller 2,000, to 375,750.

The monthly average has shown little change over the past six weeks, but it also remains near a four-year low and stands at level that usually suggests a healing labor market.