There were 323,000 first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week, down 4,000 from the week before, .
Note: As often happens, the previous week's figure is a slight revision from what was reported earlier. Initially, the ETA said there had been 324,000 first-time claims during the week ending April 27. Now, it says there were 327,000 that week.
The bottom line, , is that "claims continue to run around the lowest pace since early 2008 — they haven't been lower since a week in mid-January 2008 when they came in at 321,000."
on the latest figures: They're "a signal employers are confident enough in the economic outlook to hold on to workers."
Thursday's relatively good news follows last week's word that the nation's unemployment rate .
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