US Initial Unemployment Claims Fall To 184,000, Hitting Another Record Low

Initial unemployment claims fell again, reaching a 52-year low, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor.

There were 184,000 initial jobless claims in the week ending Dec. 4, a drop of 43,000. The last time comparable numbers were seen was the 182,000 during the week ending Sept. 6, 1969.

The number surprised forecasters, who had expected a total of 211,000. The Labor Department acknowledged that the unadjusted number was slated to be 280,665. However, a large seasonal modification sent numbers much lower.

The number of continuing unemployment claims is 1,947,598, a decrease of 350,527 from the previous week.