US Jobless Claims Ticked Down to 213,000 Last Week

A jobseeker holds a folder while waiting to speak with a recruiter during a career fair in Seattle.Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg

Applications for US unemployment benefits edged down last week, indicating layoffs remain contained.

Initial claims decreased by 1,000 to 213,000 in the week ended March 7, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 215,000.