Article, CNN.com, April 21
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/21/news/economy/jobless_claims/index.htmIn the week ending April 16th, jobless claims dropped below 300,000. This was only the second time since October 2000 that the number fell below the 300,000 mark, and the decline of 36,000 claims was the largest one-week drop since a decline of 73,000 that occurred in early December 2001.
Economists use this weekly jobless claims statistic as an early indicator of the health of the labor market. This weekly statistic fell far below economic estimates, which indicates a strengthening labor market. When asked what might have caused this weekly decline, a Department of Labor analyst said there were no special factors behind the decline.
