Washington, Dhu-AlHijjah 3, 1436, Sep 17, 2015, SPA -- The number of people filing initial applications for U.S. state unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in eight weeks, the government reported Thursday, suggesting the labor market continued to strengthen despite recent volatility in financial markets. The Labor Department said jobless claims fell 11,000 to 264,000 last week, the lowest reading since the week ending July 18. It was the 28th consecutive week that claims remained below 300,000, a level typically associated with a strengthening labor market. The four-week moving average of claims—a less volatile measure considered a better gauge of labor-market trends—fell 3,250 to 272,500 last week. The number of people still receiving unemployment benefits fell 26,000 to 2.24 million last week, the report said. The economy added 173,000 jobs in August, a decrease from July’s gain of 245,000 positions. Economists dismissed the decline as an aberration because job openings are at a record high, suggesting solid labor-market demand in the coming months. --SPA 18:50 LOCAL TIME 15:50 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w