Jobless claims declined last week by 16,000 applications, Labor Department

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, the federal government reported Wednesday.

Applications for jobless claims in the U.S. for the week ending Dec. 27 fell by 16,000 to 199,000 from the previous week’s 215,000, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 208,000 new applications, according to the Associated Press. 

The claims came amid layoffs remaining low, despite a weakening labor market, the wire service also reports. 

One caveat is the unemployment benefit filings are often distorted during holiday-shortened weeks, which can result in some people who have lost jobs delay filing claims.

The weekly report was released a day early due to the New Year’s Day holiday.