Jobless Claims Fall to 350,000

Decline less than expected

(Reuters)—The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell less than expected last week as California continued to process a backlog of applications caused by computer problems.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 350,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 4,000 more applications filed than previously reported.