WASHINGTON, Muharram 12, 1438, October 13, 2016, SPA -- The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits held at a 43-year low last week, the government said Thursday, indicating sustained labor market strength. The Labor Department reported that initial claims for state unemployment benefits were unchanged at a seasonally adjusted 246,000 for the week ended October 8, the lowest reading since November 1973. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 3,000 fewer applications received than previously reported. It was the eighty-fourth consecutive week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with robust labor market conditions. That is the longest streak since 1970, when the labor market was much smaller. The strength in the labor market could pave the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in December. Minutes of the central bank’s September 20 and 21 policy meeting published Wednesday showed that several officials believed it would be appropriate to increase rates “relatively soon” if the economy continued to improve. --SPA 17:12 LOCAL TIME 14:12 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w