Quebec farmers protest, block roads over cost of business

Reuters

US weekly jobless claims fall more than expected; continuing claims rise

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, suggesting that the labor market remained fairly tight, though it could be taking longer for some laid off workers to land new jobs. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 11,000 to a seasonally adjusted 211,000 for the week ended April 6, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Labor market strength and stubbornly high inflation have forced financial markets to push back their expectations for the first rate cut from the U.S. central bank to September from June.