The number of American workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell unexpectedly last week, the U.S. government said on Thursday. Initial state unemployment insurance benefit claims fell to 357,000 for the week ending on May 31 from 375,000 the week before, the Labor Department said. Analysts polled by Reuters were expecting 375,000 in new claims, up from the originally reported 372,000 the week before. The figures stem from a four-week average of new jobless claims. Despite the decline, the number of so-called continued claims remained above 3 million for the sixth straight week in a sign that unemployed workers are having a tough time finding a new job.
