WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level in more than three years last week, still showing no signs of a deterioration in labor market conditions.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 191,000 for the week ended November 29, the lowest level since September 2022, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 220,000 claims for the latest week.

The data included last Thursday’s Thanksgiving holiday. Claims tend to be volatile around holidays. They are at levels consistent with historically low layoffs, and could allay fears the labor market was weakening sharply after the ADP employment report on Wednesday showed privat

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