US Jobless Claims Fall Slightly, Hold Near Eight-Month High

Applications for US unemployment insurance fell for the first time in four weeks but held near the highest level since November, indicating continued moderation in the labor market.

Initial unemployment claims decreased by 5,000 to 256,000 in the week ended July 23, Labor Department data showed Thursday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 250,000 applications.

Continuing claims for state benefits fell to 1.36 million in the week ended July 16.

Jobless claims have generally been rising in recent months and are hovering near the highest since November, coinciding with an increase in job cuts ...