MW: U.S. initial jobless claims drop 12,000 to 545,000
By Rex Nutting
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The number of people filing for state unemployment benefits for the first time fell 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 545,000 last week, the lowest since mid-July, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday. Meanwhile, the number of people collecting regular state benefits rose by 129,000 in the week ending Sept. 5 to a seasonally adjusted 6.23 million. The number of people claiming benefits of any kind was 9.53 million, not seasonally adjusted. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected initial claims to rise to 563,000 in the week ending Sept. 12.
