Initial U.S. Jobless Claims Fell in Latest Week

Initial jobless claims in the U.S. fell in the week ended April 14 to 385,000 from a revised 395,000 the previous week, a level that placed the figure above the four-week average of 382,250.

The four-week average is the highest since the week of April 13, 1996, when about 388,500 claims were filed each week, according to data from the Labor Department.

Twenty-one states reported an increase in claims of more than 1,000 for the week ended April 7, the latest period for which data are available.