According to the US Department of Labor, the number of initial applications for unemployment benefits fell from the revised figure of the previous week by 130 thousand - to 881 thousand. Analysts predicted a decline in the indicator by 56 thousand applications. The figure has dropped below 1 million for the second time since March saw a sharp increase in the number of applications. The total number of people receiving unemployment benefits in the United States decreased by 1.238 million from the revised figure of the previous week to 13.254 million.
