Jobless claims sink 23,000 to 216,000 - recent spike appears to be false alarm
February 21, 2019 at 08:32 AM EST
The number of people who applied for jobless benefits in mid-February fell sharply and returned near recent postrecession lows, suggesting the U.S. labor market is still going strong and keeping the economy on a firm footing. Jobless claims fell by 23,000 to 216,000.