Jobless claims fall for fourth straight week

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to a further tightening in labor market conditions.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits decreased 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 218,000 for the week ended June 16, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims data for the prior week was revised to show 3,000 more applications received than previously reported.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims rising to 220,000 in the latest week. Claims have now declined for four straight weeks.

The labor market is viewed as being near or at full employment, with the jobless rate at an 18-year low of 3.8 percent. The unemployment rate has dropped by three-tenths of a percentage point this year and is near the Federal Reserve's forecast of 3.6 percent by the end of this year.

The Labor Department said claims for Maine were estimated last week. The four-week moving average of initial claims, viewed as a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, dropped 4,000 to 221,000 last week.

The claims data covered the survey period for the nonfarm payrolls component of June's employment report. The four-week average of claims rose 7,500 between the May and June survey weeks, suggesting some moderation in job growth this month. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 223,000 jobs in May.

Employers are increasingly reporting labor shortages across all sectors of the economy, with a record 6.7 million job openings in April. The number of unemployed people per vacancy slipped to 0.9 from 1.0 in March, meaning that most people looking for a job are likely to find one.

Economists expect the worker shortage will soon spur faster wage growth and boost inflation. The Fed last week raised interest rates for a second time this year and forecast two more rate hikes by the end of 2018. The U.S. central bank described the labor market as "strong."

The claims report also showed the number of people receiving benefits after an initial week of aid increased 22,000 to 1.72 million in the week ended June 9. The four-week moving average of the so-called continuing claims slipped 4,750 to 1.72 million, the lowest level since December 1973.

((Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Paul Simao); Lucia.Mutikani@thomsonreuters.com; 1 202 898 8315; Reuters Messaging: lucia.mutikani.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)