US jobless claims fall more than expected
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The news: The number of Americans filing new unemployment claims dropped by 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 207,000 for the week ending 25 January, according to the US Labor Department.
The numbers: Economists had expected 220,000 claims. Continuing claims, a proxy for hiring, decreased by 42,000 to 1.858 million for the week ending 18 January.
The context: The larger-than-expected decline suggests layoffs remain low, though job opportunities are becoming scarcer.
A Conference Board survey found the share of consumers reporting jobs as "plentiful" fell to a four-month low in January, while the proportion viewing jobs as "hard-to-get" was the highest since October.
Companies have slowed hiring due to tight monetary policy and uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s policies on tax cuts, tariffs and deportations, which economists view as inflationary.
The sources: US Department of Labor, Reuters
