US workers file 406,000 new jobless claims as economy heats up

The number of Americans seeking new unemployment benefits continued to drop last week to a new low during the pandemic, the feds said Thursday.

Initial worker filings for jobless claims, seen as a signal of layoffs, reached 406,000 last week, down from a 444,000 reported the prior week, according to data released Thursday by the Labor Department. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected 425,000 new jobless claims.