http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/news...D9F9929291%7D&
8:30am 06/17/04
U.S. jobless claims fall in latest week By Greg Robb
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - First-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell 15,000 to 336,000 in the week ended June 12, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of initial claims fell 2,750 to 343,250. A Labor Department official said a portion of the decline in claims can be attributed to the closing last Friday of 15 state unemployment offices as for former President Ronald Reagan's funeral. The drop in claims was roughly in line with the forecasts of Wall Street economists. Meanwhile, the number of Americans receiving state jobless benefits rose 31,000 to 2.90 million in the week ending June 5. The four-week moving average of continuing claims fell 9,500 to 2.93 million, the lowest since June 2001.