AlQa'dah 23, 1435, Sep 18, 2014, SPA -- The number of people filing new applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, while the total number of people receiving jobless benefits fell to the lowest level in more than seven years, the government reported Thursday. The Labor Department said initial jobless claims fell 36,000 to 280,000 last week, the lowest level since July. Economists had expected a much smaller decline. The four-week moving average of claims—considered a better measure of labor-market trends because it smoothes weekly volatility—fell 4,750 to 299,500. The number of Americans still receiving unemployment benefits fell 63,000 to 2.43 million last week, the lowest level since May 2007. The decline in jobless claims between August and September suggests that payroll growth rebounded from August's eight-month low, which most economists dismissed as an aberration. Employers added only 142,000 jobs in August, ending six consecutive months of job increases above 200,000.
