Claims for unemployment benefits have reached levels not seen since 1991.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell by 21,000, the Government said.

And initial claims for unemployment benefits fell by 3,000 last week.

And new claims for unemployment benefits shot up to the highest level since July 15.

In another sign of a strong economy, initial claims for unemployment benefits fell.

The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits has been running high, he noted.

The number of new claims for unemployment benefits remained steady in the week ended May 30.

Initial claims for unemployment benefits are dropping, although they remain high.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week.

The number of workers filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose 5 percent in just one week, the government said Thursday.

First-time claims for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level in more than a month.

First-time claims for unemployment benefits fell last week to 364,000, their lowest level in almost two years.

Since 1980, Americans have filed 106 million initial claims for unemployment benefits, each representing a lost job.

Bond buying was also encouraged by a report on new claims for unemployment benefits, which rose more than expected last week.

Early yesterday, a report of a decrease in new claims for unemployment benefits caused prices to fall slightly.

The number of new claims for unemployment benefits shrank by 4,000 in late June, the second straight decline.

Bonds may also have been helped by yesterday's report on weekly initial claims for unemployment benefits.

And initial claims for unemployment benefits last week hit their second-highest level in more than nine years.

If recent reports on initial claims for unemployment benefits are any indication, the job market remains robust.

In another report, a decline in claims for unemployment benefits last week provided further evidence of healthy growth.

In other economic news, the Labor Department reported yesterday that claims for unemployment benefits rose about 2,000, to 326,000 last week.

New claims for unemployment benefits fell sharply in late April, a possible sign that the worst of the recession is over.

But initial claims for unemployment benefits tumbled last week, a sign of surprising strength in the labor market.

Housing starts rose in November, and new claims for unemployment benefits abated, government reports said.

First-time claims for unemployment benefits declined for the third straight week.