美国首次申请失业救济人数降至21.4万人

Group 1 - The number of initial jobless claims in the U.S. decreased by 10,000 to 214,000 for the week ending December 20, which is below the economists' median forecast of 224,000 [5] - The number of individuals continuing to claim unemployment benefits rose to 1.92 million in the previous week [5] - The recent fluctuations in new claims are typical for this time of year, especially around the holiday season, with claims having spiked earlier in the month from a three-year low during Thanksgiving [5] Group 2 - The four-week moving average of new claims, which helps smooth out volatility, also showed a decline last week [5] - The layoff rate in the labor market remains relatively low, maintaining stability throughout the year despite increasing economic uncertainty [5] - Major companies like PepsiCo and HP have announced layoff plans, but these have not yet translated into a significant increase in actual layoffs [5]