Initial Jobless Claims Decline

Initial jobless claims fell by 24,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Claims for the week ended Saturday fell to 334,000 from a revised 358,000 that was lower than originally reported, Labor said.

The number of claims was below analysts’ median forecast of 345,000 new claims, Bloomberg News reported.

The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, fell to 356,000.

Continuing jobless claims for the previous week ended July 6 rose by 91,000 to 3.11 million.