New jobless claims fall to lowest level in almost 27 years

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits plummeted last week to the lowest level in nearly 27 years, indicating that businesses are scrambling to find workers.

The Labor Department said today that 257,000 Americans filed new claims for jobless benefits for the week ending April 15, down by 9,000 from the previous week.

That was the lowest level since Dec. 1, 1973, when claims were at 256,000.

The decline was not expected. Many analysts had predicted that claims would actually rise slightly.