Initial Jobless Claims Decrease to 312,000

The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, evidence of a stronger labor market that may be further supported by today’s report on July employment.

Initial jobless claims fell by 1,000 to 312,000 in the final week of July, the Labor Department said in Washington. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell to 316,750, the lowest since February, from 319,000.