The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell to near a six-month low last week. That was the lowest level since the week ended Feb 25 when claims fell to 227,000, which was the best reading since March 1973. It was the 128th week that claims remained below 300,000, a threshold associated with a robust labour market. The four-week average of claims fell 3,500 between the July and August survey periods, suggesting another month of solid job growth. Labour market tightness has, however, failed to generate strong wage growth, contributing to inflation consistently below the Fed's 2% target.

Source: Bangkok Post August 17, 2017 13:18 UTC