US labour market holds firm as weekly lay-offs tumble to 57-year low

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment slipped to a 57-year last week as lay-offs remained low against the backdrop of a resilient labour market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 189,000 for the week ended October 31, the Labour Department ‌said on Thursday. Economists had forecast 196,000 claims for the latest…