U.S. jobless claims fall to 5-week low of 236,000 By: MarketWatch December 07, 2017 at 08:32 AM EST Initial U.S. jobless claims fall 2,000 to 236,000 in week ended Dec. 2. The nation’s jobs market is ending 2017 in the best health since early 2000s. Read More >> Related Stocks: Standard & Poors 500