U.S. jobless claims rebound from 45-year low

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The number of people filing for U.S. unemployment benefits increased by 17,000 in the week which ends Jan. 20, rebounding from a 45-year low in the previous week, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday.

The seasonally adjusted figure of initial jobless claims across the U.S. was 233,000. Claims fell to 216,000 in the previous week, the lowest level since January 1973.

Although the number of jobless claims inched up last week, it was still well below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a strong labor market.

The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to a 17-year low of 4.1 in 2017. Economists expect the figure to hit 3.5 percent by the end of 2018. Enditem