WASHINGTON — The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits fell for the first time in three weeks, pushing total applications down to a low 239,000, further evidence of the strength of the labor market.
Applications dropped by 13,000 last week after rising by 13,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The four-week average rose by 1,250 to 239,750.
The number of people receiving benefits rose by 36,000 to 1.9 million, still near a 44-year low.
