Thursday Is New Jobless Day

Slightly better, but still bad.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 442,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. The report included annual revisions to the weekly unemployment claims seasonal factors going back to 2005.

Using the old seasonal factors, claims would have dropped only to 453,000, a Labor Department official said. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected claims to slip to 450,000 from a previously reported 457,000 the prior week.