US weekly jobless claims fall less than expected as winter storms linger
Initial claims fell to 227,000 last week as winter storms hit the labor market. Experts describe the current climate as a low hire and low fire environment.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefit programs in the US 
US fell by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 227,000 for the week ended February 7, according to data released by the U.S. Labor Department. The decline was smaller than the 222,000 level economists had forecast, suggesting that the U.S. labor market is still experiencing the effects of recent weather events. This follows a jump in the prior week that was blamed on widespread snowstorms, and the current figures likely reflect lingering winter-storm disruptions across the country.
US fell by 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 227,000 for the week ended February 7, according to data released by the U.S. Labor Department. The decline was smaller than the 222,000 level economists had forecast, suggesting that the U.S. labor market is still experiencing the effects of recent weather events. This follows a jump in the prior week that was blamed on widespread snowstorms, and the current figures likely reflect lingering winter-storm disruptions across the country.
