Jobless claims — aka layoffs — fall below 200,000. Labor market shows signs of bottoming out.

The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits fell in early January to a 1½-month low and dropped below the key 200,000 threshold for only the second time in a year, possibly a sign of improvement in a frail U.S. labor market.

​The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits fell in early January to a 1½-month low and dropped below the key 200,000 threshold for only the second time in a year, possibly a sign of improvement in a frail U.S. labor market.