"Decline in unemployment claims is another indication that the labor market is healing. That's good news for the March payroll report"
- Gus Faucher, a senior economist at PNC Financial Services
The number of Americans claiming for unemployment benefits fell to 348 thousand in the week ended March 17 from the week before, said the Department of Labor on Thursday.
"This is consistent with gradual improvement in labor market conditions," said Brian Jones, a senior U.S. economist at Societe Generale in New York, who correctly projected the level of claims. "It's good for consumer spending."
"That's another indication that the labor market is healing. That's good news for the March payroll report," said Gus Faucher, a senior economist at PNC Financial Services in Pittsburgh.
"We are looking at net job growth of 200,000, which will be another good month. On the labor front, we have dug a deep hole but we seem to be digging out of it."
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