Fewer Americans are seeking jobless aid and businesses are building up their inventories, the government’s latest data show, adding more evidence that the economy is on higher ground.
The number of workers lining up last week for first-time state unemployment benefits edged down to a seasonally-adjusted 377,000, from 380,000, the Labor Department said.
It was the tenth consecutive week that initial jobless claims remained below the recessionary 400,000 level.
Separate figures from the Commerce Department showed companies unexpectedly boosted their inventories by 0.2 percent in January.
The gain was the first in a year.