According to a new report from the Labor Department, new unemployment claims dropped by 37,000 to 335,000, the lowest level in five years. The four-week average also fell. Economists say that the numbers are a positive sign that the economy is continuing to recover slowly. The last time the numbers were lower was in January 2008, before the financial crisis.
See "Initial jobless claims plunged last week to lowest level in 5 years", Jim Puzzanghera, Los Angeles Times, January 17, 2013