US Jobless Claims Drop by the Most Since November to 206,000 (3)

Applications for US unemployment benefits fell by the most since November, adding to evidence of stabilization in the labor market.

Initial claims decreased by 23,000 to 206,000 in the week ended Feb. 14, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. That was lower than all but one estimate in a Bloomberg survey.

In the past year, new applications have fallen below the 210,000 mark only a handful of times. That level of weekly filings is a sign that layoffs widely remain low. The data also suggest that people who were temporarily unable to work due to a severe winter storm ...