iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Jobless claims slumped last week, decreasing by 5,000, according to the latest figures released Thursday by the Labor Department.
For the week ending Oct. 1, the number of people filing for benefits fell from an unrevised level of 254,000 the previous week to 249,000, marking the 83rd consecutive week initial jobless claims came in below 300,000. It’s the longest streak since 1970, the Labor Department says.
The Labor Department said there were no “special factors” impacting that week’s figures.
The four-week moving average decreased by 2,500 to 253,500.
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