US initial jobless claims fall by 26k
The number of people signing on for unemployment benefit in the US fell by 26,000 to 319,000 last week, figures from the Department of Labor show.
Analysts has been expecting a decline to 325,000, from 345,000 the week before.
Continuing jobless claims are now at 2.69m, from 2.77m.
The encouraging figure gives some indication that April’s payrolls momentum has continued into May.