Jobless claims stick to 245,000 in week before Christmas

• December 28, 2017
• realestate
• Announcements, Business & Markets, Real Estate, Real Estate Finance

Initial U.S. jobless claims, a tool to measure layoffs, were unchanged at 245,000 in the seven days ended December 23. Economists surveyed had forecast claims to total 239,000.

The more stable monthly average of claims rose slightly, up 1,750 to 237,750, the government said Thursday.

The number of people already collecting unemployment benefits, known as continuing claims, edged up by 7,000 to 1.94 million.