Jobless Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Fell to 302,000 Last Week

The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly dropped last week, showing further healing in the labor market.

Jobless claims declined by 3,000 to 302,000 in the week ended July 12, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 51 economists surveyed by Bloomberg projected 310,000. The number of people continuing to receive jobless benefits fell to a seven-year low.