The US Labor Department said today that weekly claims for jobless aid slid by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 258,000. 
The less-volatile four-week average rose by 1,000 to 252,500, AP reported today. Overall, 2.01 million Americans are collecting unemployment checks, down 10 percent from a year ago. 
Claims have come in below 300,000 for 92 straight weeks, longest such streak since 1970 when the population and labor force were much smaller. 
The applications are a proxy for layoffs, and the low numbers suggest that employers are hanging onto their workers and that most Americans enjoy job security. 
The Fed are set to meet this month to decide on whether to hike or hold interest rates, with a strong job report (along with a return for inflation) the key drivers of their decision.

Source: QNA