Jobless claims at 9-week low

Initial jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 8 was the lowest it has been since October, when applications for unemployment benefits were the lowest they’ve been in the last four years.

Reports dropped by 29,000 claims last week to 343,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Forecasts had predicted 369,000 claims, according to the Bloomberg survey median.

Experts say the rate is an indicator that employers are comfortable with current staff levels.