Initial claims for unemployment benefits declined during the week ended Dec. 21, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
There were a seasonally adjusted 338,000 initial claims during the week, down 42,000 from the previous week. Without seasonal adjustment, there were 413,920 claims, down 159 from the week prior.
The four-week moving average was 348,000 last week, up by 4,250 from the week ended Dec. 14.
