In a positive sign for the U.S. jobs market, the Labor Department released a report on Thursday showing that first-time claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly decreased in the week ended June 8th.
The Labor Department said initial jobless claims fell to 334,000, a decrease of 12,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 346,000.
The modest decrease came as a surprise to economists, who had been expecting initial jobless claims to edge up to 350,000.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.