Fewer Americans apply for jobless benefits last week as labor market shows continued strength

The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits fell last week in a sign that the labor market remains strong. Applications for jobless benefits fell by 16,000 to 207,000 for the week ending January 25, the Labor Department said Thursday. Analysts were expecting 225,000 new applications. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs. The four-average, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, ticked down by 1,000 to 212,500. The total number of Americans receiving unemployment benefits for the week of January 18 fell by 42,000 to 1.86 million.