Jobless Claims Ticked Down Again, Consumer Spending Edged Up

There were 2,000 fewer first-time claims for unemployment last week than in the week before, the Employment and Training Administration reports.

It says there were 351,000 such filings.

Note: Last week, the agency also said there were 351,000 such claims in the previous week. But today, it has revised that figure to 353,000. That explains the estimated 2,000-claims decline. Regardless, claims remain at a four-year-low.

In other economic news, the Bureau of Economic Analysis says consumer spending rose a modest 0.2 percent in January from December. Personal incomes rose 0.3 percent.

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