Economy

New Jobless Claims Below Expectations

US_Dept_of_Labor
Source: Ed Brown, via Wikimedia Commons
New claims for unemployment benefits fell from 348,000 to 343,000 last week, according to the weekly report from the U.S. Department of Labor. The consensus estimate called for a drop of 2,000. The data were released today due to tomorrow’s Fourth of July holiday.

The four-week average is down by a scant 750, the poorest showing in the past six weeks.

Better news came from the number of continuing claims, which dropped by 54,000 to a seasonally adjusted total of 2.93 million for the week ending June 22.

Combined with today’s report from ADP, which showed a gain of 188,000 new private sector jobs, today’s data dump on employment should put some air under stocks when markets open today. The effect may be larger than normal due to the relatively small number of traders who are working today.

Markets close today at 1:00 p.m. ET, so that the rest of us can get an early start to the holiday. Trading is expected to be light on Friday as well, when the Labor Department releases its report on nonfarm payrolls for June.

Smart Investors Are Quietly Loading Up on These “Dividend Legends” (Sponsored)

If you want your portfolio to pay you cash like clockwork, it’s time to stop blindly following conventional wisdom like relying on Dividend Aristocrats. There’s a better option, and we want to show you. We’re offering a brand-new report on 2 stocks we believe offer the rare combination of a high dividend yield and significant stock appreciation upside. If you’re tired of feeling one step behind in this market, this free report is a must-read for you.

Click here to download your FREE copy of “2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever” and start improving your portfolio today.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.