Jobless Claims Fall, But Stick Well Above Pre-Pandemic Record As Deadlines Near

803,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, down sharply from a revised 892,000. The latest "real time" read on the fragile US labor market comes amid myriad signs the world's largest economy is faltering anew as coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all surge, validating fears of a "winter wave." Initial jobless claims rose to the highest since early September in last week's report, underscoring the urgency of the situation as lawmakers closed in on a new virus reli