Fewer Americans than projected filed applications for unemployment benefits last week as disruptions caused by superstorm Sandy waned.
Jobless claims decreased by 25,000 to 370,000 in the week ended Dec. 1, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 52 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a drop to 380,000. A Labor Department spokesman said there was nothing unusual in last week's data.
The mid-Atlantic region, which employs about 14 percent of U.S. workers, is recovering after Sandy. Apart from the storm-related damage — which may also be reflected in the November payrolls report tomorrow — employers will probably curb hiring until the risks from the global slowdown and looming U.S. fiscal tightening dissipate.
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