New applications for U.S. unemployment benefits stayed under 200,000 for a fifth consecutive week, a sign that employers are still laying off relatively few workers even as hiring remains slow. Seasonally adjusted initial claims were 199,000 in the week ending Oct.
Private-sector hiring in the United States kept growing in late September but lost a little speed, according to ADP's weekly employment estimate. In its NER Pulse released Oct. 13, ADP said private employers added an average of 24,750 jobs a week over the four weeks ending Sept. 26.
