New jobless claims fall unexpectedly to 610,000

Jobseekers crowd around booths offering employment, at a job fair in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, April 8, 2009. New jobless claims fell more than expected last week, while those continuing to receive unemployment insurance set a record for the 11th straight week.

In this April 7, 2009 photo, job seekers talk to the Wells Fargo Financial managers at their booth during a National Career Fair at a Holiday Inn in Long Beach Calif. New jobless claims fell more than expected last week, while those continuing to receive unemployment insurance set a record for the 11th straight week

Job seekers collect information about work opportunities at a job fair in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Police had to turn away potential attendees as the actual turnout was four times more than the number of job hunters expected.

Job seekers line up to apply for positions at an American Apparel store on April 2, 2009 in New York City.

US monthly unemployment since March 2008. Another nightmarish month for the US labor market pushed the unemployment rate to a new 25-year high of 8.5 percent with 663,000 jobs axed in March, official data showed Friday.

WASHINGTON – The number of newly laid-off Americans requesting unemployment insurance benefits fell last week, a sign that job cuts could be easing.

The Labor Department says its tally of initial jobless claims dropped to a seasonally adjusted 610,000 from a revised figure of 663,000 the previous week. That is significantly below analysts' expectations of 655,000.

The number of people claiming benefits for more than a week increased to 6 million, the highest on records dating to 1967.

(Agencies)