U.S. jobless claims fall

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The number of people filing for U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week for the third time in four weeks as labor market tightened further, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday.

The seasonally adjusted figure of initial jobless claims across the United States decreased 9,000 to 221,000 in the week ending Feb. 3, the lowest level in nearly 45 years.

Last week marked the 153rd straight week that the figure remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a strong labor market.

With the unemployment rate at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent, the U.S. labor market is near full employment. Enditem