There were 281,000 first-time claims for unemployment for the week ending April 4, the Department of Labor reported Thursday.
That was an increase from the previous week’s revised 268,000 jobless claims, adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, but better than investors expected.
The four-week moving average of claims, meanwhile, fell by 3,000 to 282,250. That average was the lowest since June of 2000, reflecting the ongoing improvement in the U.S. labor market.
Low first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits are viewed as a positive sign for the economy, as fewer layoffs generally indicate greater net hiring.
Thursday’s good news comes after Friday’s disappointing jobs report. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that the U.S. added just 126,000 payroll jobs for the month of March, and that the previous two months saw 69,000 fewer jobs created than previously thought.
That weak report was enough to raise questions about the overall strength of the jobs recovery and economy in the beginning of 2015.
Claims for unemployment insurance have been among the more positive signs of the economy in the winter months. Frist-time claims for unemployment have been under the 300,000 for five straight weeks.
The total number of laid-off workers receiving unemployment benefits has fallen from 3.1 million last year to 2.6 million in the week ending March 21. In the past week, that number has fallen by 141,794.
