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Applications for US jobless aid drop by 11,000 to 225,000

Dec 14, 2017 | 8:15 AM

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell by 11,000 last week to 225,000, the lowest in nearly two months and another sign that U.S. workers are enjoying job security.

The Labor Department said Thursday that the less volatile four-week average also fell by 6,750 to 234,750.

Overall, 1.89 million Americans are collecting unemployment checks, down more than 7 per cent from a year earlier and close to a four-decade low reached in November.

Unemployment claims are a proxy for layoffs. They’ve been below 300,000 a week for nearly three years, the longest stretch in more than four decades.