MW: Weekly U.S. jobless claims drop 17,000 to 421,000
By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell by 17,000 last week to 421,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected initial claims in the week of Dec. 4 to fall to a seasonally adjusted 425,000. Last week's number was revised up by 2,000 to 438,000. Continuing claims, which reflect people already receiving unemployment checks, declined 191,000 to a seasonally adjusted 4.1 million. Some 8.3 million people received a form of state or federal benefits in the week of Nov. 20, down 611,944 on an unadjusted basis
