U.S. jobless claims drop by 35,000 to 353,000

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- First-time claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, but whether this signals strength in the broader job market remains to be seen.

About 353,000 people filed jobless claims in the week ended July 21, down 35,000 from the previous week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday.

That's far better than economists' expectations for 381,000 claims.

Jobless claims are seen as a key gauge of the strength of the job market, but seasonal distortions have made it difficult to get a clear reading lately.

Economists hope jobless claims are returning to a more normal trend, after some choppiness in the numbers earlier this month.

The Labor Department is scheduled to issue its July jobs report next Friday, and most economists are predicting hiring remained tepid. Employers added only 80,000 jobs in June. The unemployment rate is expected to be little changed from its current 8.2%.

Meanwhile, 3.29 million people filed for their second week of unemployment benefits or more in the week ended July 14, the most recent data available. That number was down 30,000 from the prior week.