REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Economists forecast that the number of first-time claims filed for unemployment insurance totaled 271,000 last week, compared to 267,000 in the prior week, according to Bloomberg.
The four-week moving average fell 750 to 271,750.
In a preview to clients, Nomura economists noted that recent data suggest involuntary layoffs are low, which should bode well for a low claims number.