The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, Dec. 5, edition that the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell to a more than three-year low last week, allaying fears of a sharp deterioration in labour market conditions after independent surveys showed job losses in November. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe reports that difficulties adjusting the weekly jobless claims data around the Thanksgiving holiday could have accounted for some of the unexpected decline reported by the Labour Department on Thursday. Still, economists said the unemployment claims report, the most timely data on the economy's health, was consistent with a market that remained in a holding pattern. Revelio Labs, which develops monthly employment estimates from on-line employment profiles, said the economy lost 9,000 jobs in November. That was on the heels of the ADP employment report on Wednesday showing private payrolls decreased last month by the most in more than 2-1/2 years. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 191,000 for the week ended Nov. 29, the lowest level since September, 2022. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 220,000 claims for the latest week.