Jobless claims lowest in three years

Initial jobless claims are at their lowest level since April 19, 2008.   The Labor Department reported that 352,000 people filed for initial unemployment benefits, last weeks numbers were 402,000, a 50,000 person decrease.  Citizens receiving unemployment benefits are at 3.4 million which is down 215,000 from last week.  The December jobs report showed employers added 200,000 jobs while the unemployment rate fell to 8.5%, the lowest level since February of 2009.