The total number of people collecting unemployment insurance in the U.S. fell slightly last week, for the first time this year, according to advance data from the Labor Department.
The seasonally adjusted number of claims fell 15,000 to 6,735,000. Initial claims also fell by 4,000, to 621,000, based on the seasonally adjusted numbers.
The numbers remained far higher than they were at the same point last year, when total claims stood at 3,095,000 and initial claims were at 370,000.
