U.S. Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Edge Down To Two-Month Low

(RTTNews) - First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly edged slightly lower in the week ended September 19th, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday. The report said initial jobless claims slipped to 197,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level of 198,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to rise to 204,000 from the 196,000 originally reported for the previous week. With the unexpected dip, jobless claims dropped to their lowest level since hitting a multi-decade low of 189,000 in the week ended July 18th.